A 17 year-old Fairburn resident was charged Thursday with vehicular homicide in relation to a traffic crash Nov. 16. A 14 year-old traveling in the car was ejected in the incident and died at the scene.

Jose I. Martin was charged with homicide by vehicle, reckless driving and driving without a license, according to Det. Ben Pace.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. as Martin and his 14 year-old friend Favian Delrio, also of Fairburn, were skipping school, said Pace. Martin was driving a Pontiac Grand AM north on Virlyn B. Smith Road when he attempted to pass two vehicles on a double yellow line, Pace said.

Martin swerved back into the flow of traffic when he was met by oncoming traffic, said Pace. That action caused his vehicle to clip another northbound vehicle in the rear, at which point Martin lost control of his vehicle. The car went airborne, Pace said, flipping over and landing in a pine thicket. Delrio, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected as the vehicle came to a rest and died at the scene, said Pace.

Pace said Martin was wearing a seat belt.

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