Charges have been dismissed against the five Georgia teens accused of carrying out an annual prank that left their high school teacher dead in a freak accident, according to a report.
A judge on Friday approved dropping multiple charges against the 18-year-old North Hall County High students who toilet-papered math teacher Jason Hughes Gainesville home when he slipped outside and was fatally run over on March 6, the Hall County Magistrate’s Office told ABC News.
Following the tragic accident, Jayden Wallace was hit with first-degree vehicular homicide for the high school golf coaches death, along with criminal trespassing, littering, and reckless driving offenses
The other teens — Elijiah Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque and Ariana Cruz — were arrested outside Hughes’ home and charged with criminal trespassing and littering.
Hughes’ wife, Laura, has previously called for the charges against the teens to be dropped.
“Jayden Wallace and his family first want to thank Laura Hughes for her remarkable compassion and spirit of forgiveness in the face of the tremendous loss of her husband, Jason Hughes,” Wallace’s family attorney Graham McKinnon said in a statement Friday, the outlet reported.
“As he was leaving the home, Jayden never saw Mr. Hughes, and Jayden’s vehicle had only traveled a few feet when the accident occurred … In the end, there was no crime – only an extremely sad and devastating accident,” the lawyer continued.
“Jayden is still grieving deeply but is determined to move forward eventually to live a life that would make Jason Hughes proud.”
The freak accident came hours after school officials called on the students to end the annual tradition as students in previous years had taken things “too far.”
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