A California doctor who intentionally drove his wife and child off a cliff in his Tesla car could be placed into a mental health program and avoid criminal charges altogether.
San Mateo Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski last week allowed radiologist Dharmesh Patel, 42, to enter a two-year psychiatric diversion program, and he is expected to be released from prison soon. Pasadena Now report.
On January 2, 2023, Patel was driving with his wife and two young children on Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco, when his car sped through a section known as Devil’s Slide and crashed onto the rocky coast below.
The family miraculously survived the 300ft fall, but Patel’s wife suffered severe spinal injuries.
Doctor accused of ‘intentionally’ pushing family off cliff seeks mental health treatment, not prison
Dharmesh Patel deliberately drove his Tesla, with his wife and two children inside, off a cliff near San Francisco. (Facebook/San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office)
Mr Patel’s family claim he was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time of the incident and continue to support him.
The defendant’s lawyers argued for him to be placed in a mental health diversion program, while the prosecution argued that he deserved to stand trial on three counts of attempted murder.
The judge ruled in Patel’s favor on Thursday.
Mercury News Ms Patel’s family were seen celebrating and embracing each other outside the court following the verdict, reports said.
Dharmesh Patel: Son of California doctor who allegedly pushed family off cliff ‘unharmed’ after fall
California doctor Dharmesh Patel is accused of pushing himself, his wife and their two children off a cliff on January 2, 2023. (KTVU)
His wife, Neha, testified on his behalf.
“It has been over a year and a half since me or the children have seen or spoken to Dharmesh, even though we need him in our lives. We are not a family without him,” Neha said, according to local reports.
Defence lawyer Joshua Bentley argued during the hearing that his client had suffered from a delusional disorder before the suicide attempt and stressed he had no previous criminal history.
“It’s important to understand why we’re here. Not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal,” he said. “There’s no question this is a very serious case, but the law encompasses exactly this situation.”
Bentley said Patel was convinced the world was heading towards catastrophe, was obsessed with crises such as the war in Ukraine and feared her children would be sold into sex slavery.
Authorities say a California man intentionally drove a Tesla with an adult and two children inside off a cliff
Dharmesh Patel, a radiologist, is accused of trying to kill his wife and two young children by driving his car off a cliff in Northern California. (Sgt. Brian Moore/San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office via The Associated Press, File)
Prosecutors countered that Patel posed a danger to the public and was not forthright. He initially told police the crash was an accident and that there was a problem with his Tesla’s tires.
According to Pasadena Now, the judge found that Patel suffers from severe depression and is “by all accounts a kind and loving” person who would benefit from treatment.
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Patel, who is being held without bail, will be released to his parents to begin a treatment program. The protection order requires him to wear a GPS monitor, prevents him from contacting his wife and children, and bars him from practising medicine.
If he successfully completes the program, prosecutors will be forced to drop all charges against him, according to the news site.
