Funeral set for Hall County teacher killed after prank gone wrong; teen charged with vehicular homicide

Jason Hughes, a 40-year-old math teacher and coach at North Hall High School, was killed in what authorities described as a prank gone wrong. | CBS

Funeral arrangements have been set for a Hall County teacher who died after authorities say he was struck by a vehicle during a late-night prank outside his Gainesville home.

According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened around 11:40 p.m. Friday in the 4400 block of North Gate Drive. Deputies with the agency’s Accident Investigation Unit responded to reports that a man had been run over in the roadway.

Investigators identified the victim as Jason Hughes, 40, of Gainesville. Hall County Fire Rescue took Hughes to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where he later died.

Authorities say a group of five teenagers had gone to Hughes’ home and “rolled” his trees with toilet paper — a prank commonly known as TP-ing. When Hughes came outside, investigators said the group ran to two vehicles to leave the area.

According to deputies, Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, of Gainesville, began driving away in a pickup truck on North Gate Drive when Hughes tripped and fell into the roadway, where he was struck by the vehicle.

Officials said Wallace and the others stopped and attempted to help Hughes until first responders arrived.

Wallace faces a charge of vehicular homicide, according to investigators. Four other teenagers involved in the toilet-papering prank are charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass and littering.

The brother-in-law of Hughes says the family is asking for charges against the students to be dropped and disputes previous accounts that characterized the event as a confrontation.

A family of a Hall County student charged in the prank gone wrong says they are grieving the “tremendous loss” to the community.

A funeral service for Hughes will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Family Church, located at 3590 Thompson Bridge Road in Gainesville.

In lieu of flowers, Hughes’ family asks that donations be made in his memory to the NG3 organization.