HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A 20-year-old Dahlonega man died and two drivers were seriously injured in a head-on collision on Lula Road Thursday evening, Oct. 15, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Fernando Jose Gutierrez was a passenger in a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 that crossed into oncoming traffic about a mile east of Julian Wiley Road. He was partially ejected during the collision and died after being transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Deputies and investigators with the sheriff’s Accident Investigation Unit responded to the crash at approximately 7:30 p.m. They found one pickup blocking Lula Road and another overturned on the north side of the roadway.
Investigators said 20-year-old Jesse Jacob Martinez of Gainesville was driving the 2007 Dodge Ram east on Lula Road when he traveled off the shoulder. As the truck’s rear tires slid down an embankment, the vehicle began to rotate.
Martinez attempted to steer back onto the road but overcorrected, crossing into the westbound lane and striking a 2023 Dodge Ram 2500 head-on, according to the sheriff’s office.
The second truck, driven by 52-year-old Jack Jason Dooley of Dahlonega, rotated into a ditch and came to rest on its roof.
All three men were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Martinez remains hospitalized with serious injuries. Dooley’s condition was not available.
Charges are pending as the investigation continues.
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