US teacher dies after teens’ toilet paper prank goes wrong

ATLANTA, Georgia - A Georgia teenager faces charges in connection with the death of a high school teacher after a prank to cover the trees outside the teacher’s home with toilet paper went wrong on March 6, authorities said.

The teenager, Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, of Gainesville, Georgia, is accused of running over Mr Jason Hughes, 40, a teacher at North Hall High School in Gainesville, with his pickup truck after he and four other teenagers tried driving away from Mr Hughes’ home, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said.

Wallace faces a charge of homicide by vehicle in the first degree, a felony, the sheriff’s office said. He also faces charges of criminal trespass, reckless driving and littering.

It was not immediately clear on March 8 if he had a lawyer.

Wallace and the others went to Mr Hughes’ home late on the night of March 6 and covered the trees outside of his home with toilet paper, according to the sheriff’s office.

When Mr Hughes came outside, the teenagers got into their vehicles and began to drive away.

As Wallace was leaving in his pickup truck, Mr Hughes tripped and fell into the street and was run over at around 11.40pm local time, the authorities said.

Wallace and others stopped and tried to administer first aid, the sheriff’s office said. Emergency medical workers arrived and Mr Hughes was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The four others with Wallace, all of them 18 and all of Gainesville, which is about 86km northeast of Atlanta, were charged with criminal trespass and littering on private property, which are misdemeanours, the sheriff’s office said.

All five teenagers were released on bond on March 8, the sheriff’s office said.

Mr Will Schofield, superintendent of the Hall County School District, confirmed in an e-mail on March 8 that Mr Hughes was a teacher, a coach and a club sponsor in the district.

“Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father; a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues,” Mr Schofield said in a statement.

“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.”

Mr Hughes taught mathematics at North Hall, where his wife was also a maths teacher, according to Mr Hughes’ bio on NG3, an organsation that offers character development and mentoring programmes to students.

Mr Hughes was NG3’s director at North Hall High School, according to the website.

Mr Schofield declined to comment on whether the five teenagers were students in the school district. NYTIMES