Teen accused of killing teacher in prank gone wrong speaks out after charges dropped
One of the five teenagers embroiled in the death of a maths teacher has spoken out about the 'devastating accident' in wake of the charges against them being dropped.
Jason Hughes, 40, sadly passed away on 6 March after a prank conducted by his students went horribly wrong.
Five of his pupils doused his home in Gainesville, Georgia, in toilet paper for a joke before he was mowed down as the teens attempted to make their getaway.
Hughes, a father of two young boys, slipped on the wet road and was subsequently hit as the teenagers rushed to drive away. He later died in hospital.
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Jayden Wallace faced a felony charge of first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, while Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque and Ariana Cruz were all charged with misdemeanour counts of criminal trespassing and littering.
But Hughes' loved ones urged authorities to drop the charges against the youngsters, saying the teacher was in on the joke that took a tragic turn.
In a statement, his family said: "There was no 'confrontation'. Jason knew the students were coming and he was excited and waiting to 'catch them' in the act.
"It had been raining and he accidentally slipped and fell into the road in front of the vehicle as they were driving away and was hit.
"The students immediately tried to provide aid until paramedics arrived. Jason loved these students and they loved him too. Our family fully supports getting the charges dropped for all involved."
Dubbing the incident a 'terrible tragedy', the teacher's relatives said: "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. Our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students."
Hughes' wife Laura is also a teacher at North Hall High School, which is where her late husband was employed and is the school which the five students attend.
On Friday (13 March), Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh announced that the charges had been dismissed, the BBC reported.
A lawyer who is representing the student who was behind the wheel of the pickup truck that hit Hughes has since shared a statement on his behalf.
Criminal defence attorney Graham McKinnon IV said that 18-year-old Jayden is 'still grieving deeply' in wake of the teacher's death.
He also heaped praise on Hughes' wife Laura, thanking her for her 'remarkable compassion and spirit of forgiveness in the face of the tremendous loss of her husband'.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, McKinnon said: "Jayden is still grieving deeply but is determined to move forward eventually to live a life that would make Jason Hughes proud.
"Vehicular homicide charges were not warranted because Jayden never operated his truck in a dangerous, improper, or unsafe manner.
"In the end, there was no crime – only an extremely sad and devastating accident."
According to the publication, McKinnon added that the teenager 'never saw' Hughes before hitting him, adding that his 'had only traveled a few feet when the accident occurred'.
The lawyer urged people to offer their support to the GoFundMe that was launched to support Hughes's wife and two kids.
LADbible has contacted the Hall County District Attorney for comment.
Olivia Burke