GoFundMe fundraiser for the family of beloved Georgia high school teacher Jason Hughes has surged past its goal, raising more than $200,000 after news of his tragic death went viral.
Hughes, 40, a dedicated math teacher, died Thursday night in a freak accident when he was accidentally run over by fleeing teens who had just covered his yard in toilet paper as part of a prank.
The campaign, originally set with a $75,000 goal, was created to help cover funeral expenses and secure college funds for Hughes’ two young sons—and it has now more than doubled that target.
Jayden Wallace, 18, has been charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, reckless driving, criminal trespass, and littering on private property.
A GoFundMe for Jason Hughes’ family notes: “Jason’s life was a blessing to so many, and his untimely passing will be indescribably difficult for his wife and two young boys for years to come. Please use this opportunity to come alongside them in their time of immediate need and future planning for his children.”
Hughes, a math teacher at North Hall High School, was tragically killed after slipping and falling in the street while playfully chasing students from his Gainesville home shortly before midnight on Feb. 5. The students had just targeted his house in the annual school prank, and Wallace accidentally ran him over, authorities said. Wallace and four other teens—also students at North Hall—were arrested.
Hughes’ wife, Laura Hughes, also a math teacher at the school, said her husband had been looking forward to the prank and had been waiting to “catch them in the act.” She asked for charges against the teens to be dropped, saying it could help “prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students.”
Jason Hughes chased the teens off his property in the Gates community of Gainesville, Georgia, before the tragic accident.
Social media posts indicate that the teens involved are close friends with promising futures.
Jayden Wallace, 18, faces up to 15 years in prison on first-degree vehicular homicide charges.
Four other students—Elijiah Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque, and Ariana Cruz, all 18—were also arrested outside Hughes’ home and charged with criminal trespass and littering.
The accident occurred just hours after school officials warned juniors and seniors to end the annual prank war, a North Hall High School tradition, citing that students had “taken things too far” in previous years.
