ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia prosecutor has dropped charges against a teen who police say killed a beloved high school teacher when he drove a truck before a prank turned fatal, his lawyer said. The victim’s family asked authorities to drop the charges.
Teacher Jason Hughes, 40, died after being taken to a hospital the evening of March 6, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said. Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, was arrested on a felony vehicular homicide charge, and four other teens were charged with misdemeanors.
Wallace’s attorney, Graham McKinnon, said on Friday that the charges against his client had been dropped.
The Sheriff’s Office said students arrived at Hughes’ home around 11:40 p.m. on March 6 and began wrapping his tree in toilet paper. The teens began to leave when Hughes came out – his family said he had heard about the prank ahead of time and wanted to surprise them.
As one of the teens began driving away in a pickup truck, “Hughes tripped and fell to the road and was run over,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
After Hughes was hit, the teens stopped and attempted to render aid until emergency personnel arrived, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
McKinnon said Wallace and his friends were playing a “rivalry game,” which has long been a tradition at North Hall High School.
He said the vehicular homicide charge was moot because Jaden did not use his car unsafely or improperly.
“Jaden remains deeply grieved, but ultimately decided to continue living his life in a way that would make Coach Hughes proud.”
MacKinnon said Hughes was a “mentor” to Wallace, who taught math and helped coach golf, football and baseball at North Hall High School in Gainesville.
“I promise to live the rest of my life honoring Coach Hughes by living the example of Christ,” Wallace said in a statement released by his family Wednesday. “He will never be forgotten.”
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 another tragedy from happening and ruining the lives of these students,” Hughes’ family said. “This would go against Jason’s lifelong commitment to investing in the lives of these children.”