Jason Hughes, 40, a popular maths teacher tragically died after he slipped and was allegedly run over by a student who was behind the wheel of a pickup truck
A beloved teacher tragically died after a student allegedly ran him over “in a prank gone wrong.”
Married maths teacher and dad-of-two Jason Hughes, 40, died when a toilet papering prank went horribly wrong. His death comes after school officials warned of previous pranks that had gone “too far.”
Teens, including Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, threw toilet paper at Mr Hugh’s garden, with the rolls being a key part of the prank, police said. But when Mr Hughes came out of his home, the teenagers got into two different vehicles to flee – one of which was Wallace’s pickup truck.
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But Mr Hughes slipped on the road as he approached the vehicle and was run over be Wallace’s truck, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said of the March 6 incident. Wallace stopped and attempted to administer aid to Mr Hughes until paramedics arrived.
Tragically, Mr Hughes later died in hospital. Wallace, Elijah Tate Owens, 18, Aiden Hucks, 18, Ana Katherine Luque, 18, and Ariana Cruz, 18, all of Gainesville, Georgia, were arrested at the scene.
Wallace has been charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving in connection with the death. The four other teens were charged with criminal trespass and littering on private property.
Following Mr Hughes’s death, his family said they would support dropping the charges. They told The New York Times: “This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students.”
“This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children,” he said. Wallace and Mr Hughes were close Matt Williams, a friend of the late teacher told ABC News: “The family wants to make clear that they knew these kids and they loved them and these kids loved the Hughes’s. This was not a malicious act.”
Mr Hughes’s family said the teacher knew the prank was going to happen and had been excited for it. The statement said: “We are thankful for the outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason.
“We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us.”
A GoFundMe campaign, which has far exceeded its goal, said Mr Hughes was a father to two young boys and was married at the time of his death. The campaign said: “Jason’s life was a blessing to so many, and his untimely passing will be indescribably difficult.”