Charges Dropped in Teacher's Fatal Prank Accident

In Gainesville, Georgia, charges against five North Hall High School students were dropped Friday after their prom-season prank at a teacher's home resulted in the accidental death of Jason Hughes, a 40-year-old math teacher and coach, on March 6.

The incident unfolded late that night when the five 18-year-olds—Jayden Ryan Wallace, Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque, and Ariana Cruz—arrived at Hughes' residence in two vehicles to toilet-paper his trees and property, a longstanding tradition between school juniors and seniors known as the Junior-Senior Wars. Hughes, aware of the prank and excited to participate, emerged from his home to join the students. As the group departed, he slipped on the rain-slicked road and fell directly in front of Wallace's pickup truck. The vehicle, which had traveled only a few feet, struck Hughes, who was out of the driver's line of sight. The students immediately stopped, exited their vehicles, and attempted to provide aid until emergency responders arrived. Hughes was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Wallace faced felony charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, along with...