A high school teacher in Georgia was accidentally run over and killed outside his home when a toilet paper prank carried out by his students went terribly wrong, officials said.

Jason Hughes, 40, came out of his home to surprise the students who were tossing toilet papers over trees as part of a practical joke.

But Hughes tripped and fell on the ground which was slick from rain, and as the students tried to run away from the scene in two separate cars, he was inadvertently run over by the driver of one of the cars, police said.

The student who was driving the car has been charged with vehicular homicide, but the teacher's family say they want the charges dropped.

In a statement to the New York Times, Laura Hughes, Jason Hughes' wife, who is also an instructor at the same high school, said that her husband was beloved by the students.

She said he knew about the prank and "was excited and waiting to catch them in the act".

The student driver, identified as Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, and two others stopped to try to help Hughes before emergency responders arrived and took him to the hospital, the sheriff's office said.

Wallace and the four other 18-year-olds involved were also charged with criminal trespass and littering on private property.

Hughes's wife told the New York Times the family fully "supports getting the charges dropped for all involved".

"This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students," she said. "This would be counter to Jason's lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children."

The BBC has contacted the sheriff's office for comment.

A Hall County school district spokesperson told local outlet WXIA that Hughes would be remembered as "a passionate teacher, mentor and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues".

Community members have set up a memorial in front of the school where Hughes coached and taught.

(BBC, but headline rejigged)

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