NATCHEZ — It’s homecoming time and students are rife with youthful mischief.

One of the more typical means by which to expend homecoming fever is to toilet-paper houses in the area.

But sometimes a harmless prank can turn into something dangerous.

At 8:22 p.m. Wednesday, a teenager was struck by a car on Morgantown Road while toilet-papering a house.

The driver of the car told the Adams County Sheriff’s Office that he was traveling between 30 and 35 miles per hour when two subjects ran across the road, according to the incident report.

One of the subjects, a 15-year-old girl, was hit by the car and transported to Natchez Regional Medical Center.

Adams County Sheriff Ronny Brown said toilet-papering takes place every year during homecoming.

He said he’s never seen it turn dangerous before though.

“It hasn’t ever been a real big deal,” he said.

“This is the only incident I know when someone has been hit by a vehicle.”

Natchez Police Sgt. Craig Godbold said teens who roll people’s houses are typically dressed all in black so as not to get caught by the house’s occupants.

“This girl rolled the house, ran across the street and was wearing black clothes and got hit by the car,” he said.

Brown said it is a distinct possibility that teens out pulling pranks can get hurt.

“It can happen anywhere,” he said.

“They’re out there playing, they walk out in the street and they get run over.”

Godbold said these types of pranks should just be avoided.

“They’re out having fun, I understand that, but there’s a price to pay,” he said. “They shouldn’t be doing that anyway, but everybody knows it’s homecoming fun.”

Brown said when patrol deputies see toilet papering taking place, they will stop and talk to the teens, notify the residents of the house and then make sure no damage was done to the dwelling.

Godbold said the police department will check to see if the teens are drinking and driving.

“If they’re drinking and driving they’re going to jail,” he said.

He also said in the cases of high school pranks, teens often drive recklessly.