Former student calls Hall County teacher's death a "tragic accident"

The family of a Hall County teacher killed in what investigators say was a prank gone wrong is asking authorities to drop charges against the teens involved. 

Jason Hughes, a 40-year-old math teacher and coach at North Hall High School, died after being struck by a pickup truck outside his home Friday night. Former student Shayden Maynor said Hughes was more than just a teacher to many students. 

"Coach Hughes was my math teacher from ninth grade all the way to my junior year," Maynor said. "Me and Coach Hughes accumulated a relationship over the past three years. He was a teacher and a mentor to me." 

Investigators say a group of five students went to Hughes' home to toilet paper his yard as part of a senior prank. Hughes' family says he knew the students were coming and went outside hoping to catch them in the act. 

Authorities say Hughes tripped and fell into the street just as one of the teens was driving away. 

All five teens stopped and tried to help until first responders arrived, but Hughes later died at the hospital. The driver of the pickup truck, 18-year-old Jayden Ryan Wallace, faces several charges, including first-degree vehicular homicide. 

Four other teens were charged with misdemeanors. Maynor said many in the community see the incident as a tragic accident. 

"It was a freak tragedy accident," Maynor said. He also explained the prank was part of a tradition between students and teachers during prom season. 

"So basically, how this works, the prank wars, is that the teachers get a point for catching the students," Maynor continued. "If they don't get caught doing it, then they gain the point." 

He added that no one expected the prank to end the way it did. 

"I mean, this stuff happens that you don't plan to happen. And when it does, it just does," he said. 

Hughes' widow is now asking for compassion for the students involved. 

In a statement, the family thanked the community for its support and asked for continued prayers for both their family and the students involved. 

The Hall County District Attorney will ultimately decide whether to move forward with the charges.