Authorities say a Georgia teacher was killed in a prank gone wrong. A teen is charged with homicide

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) — It was a prank that turned deadly, authorities said: A radical of teenagers unspooled rolls of toilet insubstantial extracurricular the location of a beloved precocious schoolhouse teacher who tripped successful the thoroughfare and was struck by a pickup motortruck arsenic the pranksters started to thrust away.

The 40-year-old teacher, Jason Hughes, died aft being taken to a infirmary precocious Friday, the Hall County Sheriff's Office said. The 18-year-old operator of the pickup was arrested connected a felony complaint of vehicular homicide, and 4 different teens were charged with misdemeanors.

Hughes' household said helium knew and loved the 5 students progressive and urged authorities to driblet each charges against them.

“This is simply a unspeakable tragedy, and our household is determined to forestall a abstracted calamity from occurring, ruining the lives of these students,” Hughes' household said successful a connection provided to The Associated Press connected Monday. “This would beryllium antagonistic to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing successful the lives of these children.”

Hughes taught mathematics and helped manager golf, shot and shot astatine North Hall High School successful Gainesville, astir 55 miles (88 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.

One of Hughes' neighbors, Ty Talley, said the toilet insubstantial prank was portion of contented successful which North Hall students play applicable jokes connected teachers during prom season.

“It was thing malicious,” Talley said. “It was conscionable a prank that kids play connected their teachers and each other. I did it arsenic a kid.”

The time earlier Hughes' death, the Hall County schoolhouse strategy posted a connection urging students to refrain from immoderate prom-season pranks resulting successful spot harm oregon destruction. It warned of "serious consequences that tin originate from engaging successful destructive behavior."

Students and Hughes' chap teachers near a makeshift memorial of flowers on a conception of obstruction extracurricular the school.

Sean Pender, the school's shot coach, said that Hughes helped players with their academics and was besides a antheral of heavy religion who led a play Bible survey for different coaches.

“What made Jason truthful peculiar was the mode helium did it,” Pender wrote successful a societal media post. “He ne'er judged. He ne'er forced thing connected anyone. He simply loved radical well. He met radical wherever they were, lifted them up, and reminded them that they mattered.”

The teenagers pulled up successful 2 vehicles extracurricular Hughes' location astatine astir 11:40 p.m. Friday and began wrapping his trees with toilet paper, the sheriff's bureau said successful a quality release. It said the teens started to permission erstwhile Hughes came retired of the house.

As 1 of the teens began to thrust distant successful a pickup truck, “Hughes tripped and fell into the roadworthy and was tally over,” the sheriff's bureau said.

After Hughes was struck, the teens stopped and tried to render assistance until exigency responders arrived, according to the sheriff's office.

Hughes' household said helium wasn't trying to face the teens, but alternatively had heard successful beforehand astir their prank and hoped to astonishment them.

Authorities charged the pickup's driver, Jayden Ryan Wallace, with first-degree vehicular homicide, a felony punishable by 3 to 15 years successful situation nether Georgia law. He was besides charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor.

No 1 answered the doorway erstwhile a newsman knocked astatine Wallace's location Monday. His lawsuit did not amusement up successful online tribunal records, and it was not instantly known if helium had an lawyer who could talk for him.

The 4 different teens were charged with misdemeanor counts of transgression trespassing and littering connected backstage property, the sheriff's bureau said.

Decisions connected whether oregon however to prosecute the teens yet prevarication with Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh.

“I’m not commenting connected that lawsuit presently,” Darragh told an AP newsman by telephone Monday. “I don’t person capable accusation astir it to bash so.”

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.