A California judge on Monday dismissed all charges against a radiologist accused of intentionally driving his family off a Northern California cliff in 2023 after he completed a court-ordered mental health diversion program.
Dharmesh Patel, 45, was charged with attempted murder after driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway near an area known as Devil’s Slide in Pacifica, about 14 miles south of San Francisco. His 41-year-old wife, 7-year-old daughter, and 4-year-old son were inside the vehicle when it dropped hundreds of feet. All four survived the January 2023 crash, which first responders described as an “absolute miracle.”
The Tesla crashed into a rocky outcropping, flipped several times, and came to rest on its wheels, the Associated Press reported. Firefighters had to cut the family out of the wreckage.
After surviving the crash, Patel’s wife, Bubna, told investigators she believed her husband “did it on purpose” and needed a “psych evaluation,” according to local outlet KTVU. She added that her husband suffered from depression.
“He said he was going to drive off the cliff,” she said, according to KTVU. The Southern California-based family was reportedly in the Bay Area visiting relatives at the time of the crash.
After his arrest, Patel told a psychiatrist he believed his children would be kidnapped and trafficked, according to the Associated Press. Patel pleaded not guilty, surrendered his California medical license, and remained in jail without bail until 2024.
He was ultimately released after a judge found him eligible for an outpatient mental health treatment program. He moved in with his parents in San Mateo County and was monitored with a GPS bracelet.
On Monday, a San Mateo County judge dismissed the charges after Patel successfully completed the two-year mental health diversion program, according to the Associated Press.
“The judge was required by law to dismiss the charges,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the outlet, referring to a 2023 California bill that allowed Patel to qualify for the mental health program.
Patel’s wife later testified that she had forgiven him and did not want him to be prosecuted, according to the AP.
In court, San Mateo prosecutors opposed diversion for Patel, saying the former doctor “got the break of a lifetime,” according to ABC7.
Wagstaffe said he is working with lawmakers to prevent defendants charged with attempted murder from qualifying for mental health diversion.
“We’ll try again in the future,” he told the AP. “We’re not giving up.”
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