When he is released from the hospital where he was receiving treatment on Wednesday, a doctor who police say intentionally drove his Tesla off a cliff in California, causing injuries to himself, his wife, and their two children, will face charges of attempted murder and child abuse. The doctor is currently in stable condition.
Dharmesh Patel, 41, a radiologist from Pasadena, was taken into custody after being recovered from the wreckage of his vehicle at the rocky bottom of Devil’s Slide. Devil’s Slide is a cliff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean to the south of San Francisco and is known for its hazard.
Patel, his wife, who is 41 years old, his daughter, who is 7 years old, and his son, who is 4 years old all survived the roughly 300-foot (91-meter) fall to the water’s edge. Patel’s wife is a doctor.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Patel was taken to the hospital on Monday with critical injuries and afterward treated there. After his release, the authorities intend to transport him to the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City and process him there.
There was a lack of clarity around Patel’s decision to retain legal counsel right away. After the accident on Monday, initial reports from the media suggested that the Tesla may have been operating in a fully autonomous mode. However, the California Highway Patrol has subsequently stated that the driving mode does not appear to have been a contributing role in the accident.
According to a statement released by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), “Based on the evidence collected, detectives formed probable cause to believe this occurrence was an intentional act.” Patel works at a hospital in Los Angeles called Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, which released a statement saying it was “very grieved” to learn of the incident.
In a statement, the organization added, “We are grateful that there were no serious injuries.” Due to the ongoing investigation into this matter, we will not be providing any additional comments. According to Brian Pottenger, the battalion chief of the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit, the rescue operation was completed in around three hours.
Pottenger stated that the youngsters, who had suffered less severe injuries, were the first to be extracted from the cave. After that, a helicopter was used to extract the adults, who had sustained more severe injuries.
“The children were adequately restrained in properly installed car seats, and the car seats themselves were properly restrained within the vehicle,” Pottenger stated. From our perspective, the two children’s use of car seats kept them alive during the accident. After 10 a.m. on Monday, rescue workers in the San Francisco region reacted to a call about a vehicle that had gone off the side of the road to the south of the Tom Lantos Tunnels.
Patel’s Tesla, which he was driving at the time, was reportedly moving on the primary portion of the road just before it went off the edge of the cliff. “Over the years, there have always been incidents in that region when vehicles have strayed off the roadway,” he added. “There’s always been accidents in that area.”
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