Late on Friday night, a group of teenagers in Gainesville, Ga., drove to one of their teacher’s homes, armed with rolls of toilet paper to toss over the trees as part of a good-natured prank. Their teacher knew it was coming, and couldn’t wait to surprise his students.

But the ground outside was slick from rain, and the teacher, Jason Hughes, 40, slipped and fell into the street as he headed toward the group, who by then had jumped in their vehicles and started to drive away. Among the group was Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, of Gainesville, Ga., who is accused of running over Mr. Hughes, a teacher at North Hall High School in Gainesville, with his pickup truck as he and four others tried to drive away from Mr. Hughes’s home, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said.

Mr. Wallace faces a charge of homicide by vehicle in the first degree, a felony, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said. He also faces charges of criminal trespass, reckless driving and littering.

In a statement, Laura Hughes, Mr. Hughes’s wife, who is also a teacher at North Hall, said her husband and the students involved loved one another. Mr. Hughes was not going to confront the students but instead “was excited and waiting to catch them in the act,” Ms. Hughes said.

She said 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,” Ms. Hughes added. “This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.”

Attempts to reach Mr. Wallace on Sunday evening were unsuccessful. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Hughes tripped and fell into the street and was run over around 11:40 p.m.

Mr. Wallace and others stopped and tried to administer first aid, the sheriff’s office said. Emergency medical workers arrived and Mr. Hughes was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The four others with Mr. Wallace, all of them 18 and all of Gainesville, which is about 55 miles northeast of Atlanta, were charged with criminal trespass and littering on private property, misdemeanors, the sheriff’s office said.

All five teenagers were released on bond on Sunday, the sheriff’s office said.

Will Schofield, superintendent of the Hall County School District, confirmed in an email on Sunday that Mr. Hughes was a teacher, coach and club sponsor in the district.

“Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father; a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues,” Mr. Schofield said in a statement. “He gave so much to so many in numerous ways as he faithfully served God. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family.”

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