A Georgia district attorney has dropped all charges against a group of teens who accidentally killed a teacher during a prank gone wrong.
On March 6, five teens from North Hall High School in Gainesville travelled to the home of math teacher and coach Jason Hughes, 40, to perform a senior prank involving toilet paper, according to CBS News.
While Hughes reportedly knew the teens intended to prank him and was excited to participate, when they arrived he tripped on the rain-slick ground and fell just as the teens were driving off.
One of those teens, 18-year-old Jayden Ryan Wallace accidentally ran him over with a pickup truck. All the teens subsequently rushed out of their vehicles and sought unsuccessfully to give Hughes medical care.
Grief grips Gainesville, Georgia after the death of 40-year-old teacher and coach Jason Hughes, who investigators say slipped beneath a fleeing pickup truck while chasing students he cared about after they toilet-papered his home as a prank. pic.twitter.com/jSJmkSOkQs
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) March 12, 2026
Wallace was subsequently charged with felony first-degree vehicular homicide, reckless driving, criminal trespass, and littering on private property. The four others were charged with misdemeanors.
On Friday, Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh announced that all charges have since been dropped, in part because Hughes’ family had asked for the charges to be dropped, according to radio station WDUN.
“Wallace attempted to drive away, and Coach Hughes lost his footing and fell under the side of the truck, out of the view of Wallace,” Darragh said. “There is no evidence that Wallace was speeding or driving erratically; in fact, Wallace was able to bring his vehicle to a complete stop within a short distance, and the students began rendering aid to Coach Hughes.”
“While my Office concurs with law enforcement that probable cause existed for the charges brought against the five students, it is my legal opinion that there is insufficient evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” he added, noting that the whole incident was a tragedy.
Wallace and his family responded through their attorney by praising Hughes’ wife for calling for the charges to be dropped and praising Darragh for actually dropping the charges.
BREAKING: The attorney for Jayden Wallace, the teen who had faced criminal charges for hitting and killing North Hall HS teacher Jason Hughes, after TP’ing his house, says charges have been dropped against him and his friends. Statement below 👇@lawcrimenetwork pic.twitter.com/zfFFgP3DR2
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) March 13, 2026
“Jayden is still grieving deeply but is determined to move forward eventually to live a life that would make Jason Hughes proud,” the attorney added.
Wallace previously said that Hughes had made a lasting impression on his life and that he was going to spend the rest of his days honoring the slain teacher.
“I pledge to live out the remainder of my life in a manner that honors the memory of Coach Hughes by exemplifying Christ,” Wallace said. “He will never be forgotten.”
In his announcement Friday, Darragh did say that he hopes what happened to Hughes serves as a wake-up call.
“It is this District Attorney’s fervent hope that the potentially dangerous Junior/Senior Wars cease,” he said. “It is our hope that the young students will use this opportunity to live their lives in such a way to honor the memory of Coach Hughes, and we wish peace to his family.”
Hughes’ funeral occurred Saturday near Gainesville.
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