atlanta — A Georgia prosecutor has decided to drop charges against a teen who police say was driving the truck that struck and killed a beloved high school teacher when a prank turned fatal, the teen’s lawyer said. The victim’s family urged the authorities not to aggravate the tragedy by prosecuting the teenage driver and his friends.
Teacher Jason Hughes, 40, died after slipping and falling in the street as teens began driving away after participating in a community tradition of pranking teachers by throwing toilet paper on his front lawn.
Students stopped and provided assistance to Hughes until emergency responders arrived. Hughes was taken to a hospital and died on March 6, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said.
Jayden Ryan Wallace — the 18-year-old driver, whose attorney said he idolized Hughes and considered him a mentor — was arrested on a felony charge of vehicular homicide, and four other teens were charged with misdemeanors.
Graham MacKinnon, the attorney representing Wallace, said Friday that the charges against his client have been dropped. Prosecutors also dropped misdemeanor charges against the four other teens who were there, MacKinnon said.
The students went to Hughes’ home around 11:40 p.m. on March 6 and began wrapping his trees in toilet paper, the sheriff’s office said. The teens started to leave when Hughes came out — and his family said he had already heard about the prank and hoped to surprise them.
Wallace and his friends were playing a “competitive game” that has long been a tradition at North Hall High School, McKinnon said.
“In the end, there was no crime — just a very sad and devastating incident,” MacKinnon said in a statement.
He said the vehicular homicide charges are unreasonable because Jaden did not use his car unsafely or incorrectly.
“Jayden is still deeply saddened, but ultimately he is determined to move on and live his life in a way that would make Coach Hughes proud.”
McKinnon said Hughes — who taught math and helped coach golf, football and baseball at North Hall High School in Gainesville — was a “mentor” to Wallace.
“I pledge to live the rest of my life in a way that honors the memory of Coach Hughes by embodying Christ. He will never be forgotten,” Wallace said in a statement released by his family on Wednesday.
Hughes’ family issued a statement earlier this week saying he knew and loved the five students involved, and urged authorities to drop all charges against them.
“This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy that devastates the lives of these students,” the Hughes family said. “This would be contrary to Jason’s lifelong dedication to investing in the lives of these children.”