Indian American doctor who drove family off cliff not standing trial, here's why

A year after Dharmesh Patel, 42, who drove his Tesla off the cliff, has avoided jail and is eligible for mental health diversion.

Dharmesh Patel, 42, accused of driving himself and his family off a cliff in a Tesla vehicle last year, will avoid jail and has been granted a mental health diversion, according to court records.

The wife of Dharmesh Patel, a California radiologist accused of trying to kill his family when he drove his Tesla off a cliff along the Northern California coast, told rescuers her husband was depressed and needed a psychological evaluation, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed in May 2023. (AP)

The California doctor was initially charged with three counts of attempted murder in January last year. Authorities insisted he intentionally drove his car off a San Mateo County cliff, with his wife and two children aboard - 4 and 7 years old at the time of the tragedy. The 42-year-old Indian-origin doctor had pleaded not guilty, and the latest development in the case reflected that a judge granted him a mental health diversion last week, Thursday.

Why is Dharmesh Patel not standing trial?

More than a year after the incident, the Indian-American radiologist will be treated for mental illness, instead of being jailed. His doctors told the court he suffered a “psychotic breakdown.” San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski said on Thursday that Patel was eligible for a mental health diversion, per a statement from the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office obtained by The New York Times.

The district attorney's office stated, Judge Jakubowski “made a lengthy statement concluding the defendant as suitable for mental health diversion.” After reviewing all the evidence, she concluded the “proper diagnosis for the defendant's mental illness was major depressive disorder which is a qualifying mental disorder under the statute.”

Reports in May highlighted that Patel's attorney, Joshua Bentley, had requested the mental health diversion program, arguing that he should undergo a two-year mental health outpatient treatment program and not stand trial. “not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal,” he said in court.

What was the Indian American doctor's diagnosis?

His doctors diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder and major depressive disorder. According to the district attorney's office, his doctors recommended Patel be held in county jail for several weeks, dubbing it a “bridging period,” before his release.

After being released, he will reportedly stay at his parent's place in Belmont, California. He's not allowed to leave for elsewhere except for his treatment or the court. The district attorney's office also stated he would wear a GPS monitor and relinquish his driver's license and passport.

What happened in January 2023?

On January 2, 2023, Patel was driving his white Tesla along the Pacific Coast Highway with his family inside. Eventually, the vehicle plummeted hundreds of feet off the cliff at Devil's Slide.

Firefighters came to the family's rescue. Everyone inside the car survived the fall. Brian Pottenger, a battalion chief with Cal Fire, said at the time, “This was an absolute miracle.” He further detailed how numerous cars went over the cliff, and people rarely survived.

In May 2023, a search warrant affidavit shed light on Neha Patel's take on the incident. The defendant's wife, 41 at the time of the accident, told a California Highway Patrol Officer, “He drove off. He's depressed… He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off.”

Patel's family members have since supported him.