A California doctor accused of trying to kill his family by driving his Tesla off a cliff suffered from major depressive disorder and psychotic features on the day of the accident in 2023, according to a psychologist who testified at a hearing Wednesday. was suffering from illness.
Pasadena radiologist Dharmesh Patel, 43, was driving along a California highway with his wife and two children in January 2023 when he heard footsteps and heard footsteps around the time his Tesla plummeted off a cliff. I had delusions caused by news headlines. Psychologist Mark Patterson said there were a 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl in the car. Orange County Register.
Patel’s paranoia was prompted by the war in Ukraine and the growing fentanyl crisis in the United States, Patterson said. Psychologists said Patel’s biggest paranoia was the fear that her children would be abducted and sexually abused. It appears to be somehow related to Ms. Patel’s concerns about Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier accused of running a sex trafficking ring.
Patterson testified at the hearing that Patel is a good candidate for a mental health diversion program because he has shown significant progress over the past year and poses a low risk of harm to others.
Doctor accused of ‘deliberately’ pushing family off cliff seeks mental health treatment instead of prison
Dharmesh Patel was charged with three counts of attempted murder for allegedly pushing himself and his family off a cliff in California in January 2023. (San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, via Associated Press)
“I think he is a very motivated person and would be amenable to treatment,” the psychologist said, according to the newspaper. Mr Patterson added that he believed Mr Patel had a “great ability” to respond to treatment.
Patel was driving a Tesla when it plunged 80 meters off a cliff in Northern California, injuring his two young children and his wife. (Sergeant Brian Moore/San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office)
Patterson said he made the diagnosis after conducting a series of 18 tests and speaking with Patel and his siblings.
Patel was accused of intentionally causing his wife and two children to fall off a cliff and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. (Facebook)
If the judge grants the request, Patel would be charged with attempted first-degree murder because prosecutors say he intentionally drove his car off an 80-metre cliff with his family inside. Instead of going to trial, they will participate in the program.
Dharmesh Patel: Son of California doctor who allegedly pushed his family off a cliff was ‘not injured’ after fall
Patel is seeking admission to a mental health diversion program rather than prison. (Facebook)
Patel’s wife and 7-year-old daughter were seriously injured in the crash, but his 4-year-old son was pulled from the wreckage and was uninjured, authorities said at the time.
A Tesla vehicle fell off a cliff in Northern California on January 2, 2023, along the Pacific Coast Highway near an area known as Devil’s Slide. (San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, via AP)
Patel initially claimed he had pulled over to the side of the road to check for a flat tire, according to the affidavit.
He was later charged with three crimes Attempted first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held in the San Mateo County Jail without bail.
Patel’s potential treatment will be supervised by James Armontraut, a psychiatric clinician at Stanford University, and will consist of outpatient treatment, including therapy, and meetings with Armontrout and a psychotherapist, the Register reported. Reported.
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Prosecutors opposed the request in court filings and are scheduled to begin calling witnesses to testify on May 2.
