Charges dropped against Georgia teens whose teacher died after prank
Charges dropped against Georgia teens whose teacher died after prank
Michael Loria, Jeanine Santucci and Melina Khan, USA TODAYFri, March 13, 2026 at 10:22 PM UTC
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Charges dropped against Georgia teens whose teacher died after prank
Charges against a group of Georgia teens whose high school teacher died after the students pulled a prank on him at his home have been dropped, local officials confirmed March 13.
Five 18-year-olds faced criminal charges in the death of Jason Hughes, who died March 6 when one of the teens ran over him with a truck outside the 40-year-old teacher’s home in Gainesville, Georgia, according to authorities. The case drew national attention for the tragedy that resulted from the teens’ prank taking a turn for the worse.
Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh confirmed to USA TODAY that charges against the teens were dropped. Darragh did not elaborate on what prompted the change in the case. The local prosecutor previously told USA TODAY that charges were filed against the teens without his input and that he would review the case.
Charges against the group included first-degree vehicular homicide for the teen operating the truck that ran over and killed the high school math teacher.
An attorney for Jayden Ryan Wallace, the teen who faced the vehicular homicide charge, suggested to ABC News that prosecutors moved to drop the case after conferring with Hughes’ widow.
"Jayden Wallace and his family first want to thank Laura Hughes for her remarkable compassion and spirit of forgiveness in the face of the tremendous loss of her husband, Jason Hughes," Wallace family attorney Graham McKinnon told the news outlet in a statement Friday. "Jayden never saw Mr. Hughes, and Jayden’s vehicle had only traveled a few feet when the accident occurred ... In the end, there was no crime – only an extremely sad and devastating accident."
USA TODAY has reached out to McKinnon for comment.
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What happened in the prank gone wrong?
According to the Hall County Sheriff's Office, the five teenagers – Wallace, Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque and Ariana Cruz, all 18 – rolled trees outside Hughes' home with toilet paper the night of March 6.
Hughes came out of the home as the teens were getting back into two vehicles to leave, the sheriff's office said. Hughes tripped and fell into the road, and Wallace, who was driving a pickup truck, ran over him.
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The teenagers stopped and tried to render aid to Hughes until help arrived. Hughes died after being taken to a hospital, the sheriff's office said.
Hughes' family told multiple news outlets in a statement that the teacher knew the teenagers were coming to prank him, and was waiting to catch them in the act. It had been raining, and that's why Hughes slipped, his family told The New York Times and NBC News in a statement.
All the teens were charged with criminal trespassing and littering on private property.
Who was Jason Hughes?
Hughes was a math teacher and golf coach at North Hall High School in Gainesville, according to profiles online. His wife, Laura, is also a math teacher. They have two children.
An online fundraiser for Hughes' family raised nearly $490,000 and was paused as of March 12.
"Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father; a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues," Will Schofield, the superintendent of Hall County Schools, said. "He gave so much to so many in numerous ways as he faithfully served God. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family."
Teen who ran over teacher speaks out
The 18-year-old who was driving the pickup truck when he ran over the teacher said in a statement with his family that Hughes "meant the world" to him.
"Along with the rest of our family, Jay expresses his deepest sorrow and sincerest apology to the Hughes family: I pledge to live out the remainder of my life in a manner that honors the memory of Coach Hughes by exemplifying Christ. He will never be forgotten," Wallace's family said in the statement to ABC News and other outlets.
The family is "grieving over [the] tremendous loss," the statement said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charges dropped against teens whose teacher died after prank
Source: “AOL Breaking”
