HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A Gainesville man is facing charges after a head-on crash killed his 20-year-old passenger last week, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Jesse Jacob Martinez, 20, was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, failure to maintain lane and driving with slick tires following his release from the hospital.
All three charges are misdemeanors.
The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 on Lula Road, about a mile east of Julian Wiley Road. Deputies said Martinez was driving a silver 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 eastbound when he traveled off the south shoulder of the road.
As the truck’s back tires slid down an embankment, the vehicle rotated. Martinez tried to steer back onto the road but overcorrected, crossing into the westbound lane and hitting a blue 2023 Dodge Ram 2500 head-on, according to authorities.
The second truck rotated into a ditch on the north side of the road and came to rest on its roof.
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During the collision, Martinez’s passenger, Fernando Jose Gutierrez, 20, of Dahlonega, was partially ejected from the truck onto the roadway. He was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where he died.
Martinez also suffered serious injuries and remained hospitalized for several days. The driver of the other truck, a 52-year-old Dahlonega resident, was injured as well.
Martinez was booked into the Hall County Jail on Oct. 21. He posted a $16,960 bond and was released.
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