The family of maths teacher Jason Hughes have spoken out for the first time since his tragic death, which came as a result of a 'harmless' high school prank.
Last week on Thursday (5 March), five teenagers decided to take part in the annual junior/senior prank war and drape toilet paper across the trees in front of Hughes' home in Gainesville, Georgia, USA.
Sadly, due to the rainy conditions, the ground outside was slick and Hughes tripped and fell into the road when he went to confront the group, as they tried to speed off in cars.
He was then accidentally run over by 18-year-old Jayden Ryan Wallace in his pick-up truck, who then hopped out with two other teens and tried to provide aid to the teacher until first responders arrived on the scene.
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Sadly, Hughes, 40, would die in hospital, leaving behind a wife and two young sons, as a result of the intended good-natured prank.
The late North Hall High School teacher has since had tributes pour in from former students, as authorities uncovered information about the 'rules' around the prank war.
And now, in a statement, his wife Laura said that her husband and the students involved loved one another, highlighting that he 'was excited' by the prank and wanted to 'catch them in the act'.
The Hall County School District issued a warning to parents on Facebook about pranks around spring prom season going 'too far' on 5 March, days before Hughes' death.
It read in part: "In previous years, some pranks during prom season - sometimes referred to as Junior/Senior Wars - have gone too far, resulting in damage to property.
"We urge all students to refrain from participating in any activities that may cause harm or destruction to school or personal property. Such actions not only reflect poorly on the individual involved but also tarnish the reputation of our schools, families, and community."
'Jason's lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children'
Laura, who is also a teacher, said that her family fully 'supports getting the charges dropped for all involved', adding: “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,” the teacher added.
Laura added in a separate statement with Access WDUN: “Our family wants to thank the Hall County community for the outpouring of prayers and support and the respect for our privacy 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 link to support the Hughes family can be found here.
What charges were filed against the teenagers involved?
Hall County Sheriff's Office reported that the teacher fell into the street and was run over around 11:40pm, as they found students lost points in the prank war if they were 'caught' by the teacher, which is possibly why Hughes ended up being run over by Wallace in his pickup truck.
Wallace was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, reckless driving, criminal trespass, and littering on private property.
Wallace is being held on a $1,950 bond, according to jail records viewed by The New York Post.
Four others - Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque, and Ariana Cruz - all 18, were arrested and charged with criminal trespass and littering.
Will Schofield, superintendent of the Hall County School District, said in an email on Sunday that Jason was a teacher, coach and club sponsor in the area.
Schofield said in a statement: “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 as he faithfully served God. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family.”
District officials had warned of the annual prank war, just hours before the teacher's passing.
A snap from an Instagram page made specifically for the student 'wars' showed the Hughes home covered in toilet paper in March 2023, suggesting that they were regular targets for the students.
The picturing was captioned 'Juniors +4', meaning that due to the fact two teachers lived there, they got double points. Rules also detailed that pranks were meant to be harmless, saying: "No eggs … no paint … no weapons."
Joshua Nair