GEORGIA — A teacher is dead, and four teenagers are facing charges after a prank went wrong in Georgia.
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Our sister station, WSB TV in Atlanta, reports that a community northeast of Atlanta is mourning the death of Jason Hughes, a high school math teacher and golf coach.
North Hall High School hosted a memorial on Saturday. Students pulled up and placed flowers at a memorial outside the school.
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The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to a call around 11:30 p.m.
They said five people went to toilet-paper the trees to Hughes’ home.
The sheriff’s office told WSB that Hughes came out of his home to stop them. That’s when they got into two cars to leave.
Deputies said that Jayden Wallace was driving a pickup when Hughes tripped and fell into the road. Then, Wallace allegedly ran over him.
He and the other teens tried to help Hughes, but the teacher died at the hospital, WSB said.
Wallace has been charged with vehicular homicide and reckless driving, as well as littering and criminal trespass.
The other four are also charged with littering and criminal trespass.
WSB TV contacted the school, and they provided a statement. It said in part:
“Our hearts are broken. Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father, a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues. He gave so much to so many in numerous ways.”
WSB TV spoke to a former student about how he is remembering Hughes, one of his favorite teachers.
“Every time he’d walk into a room, it would just light up with his personality,” said Shayden Maynor.
Hughes was his math teacher.
“He was like a mentor; somebody I looked up to. He was more than a teacher to me, more like a friend,” Maynor said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Hughes’ family.
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