A California radiologist who allegedly intentionally drove his vehicle with his family off a cliff had the attempted murder charges against him dismissed on Monday.
A San Mateo County judge tossed the charges against Dharmesh Patel, 45, after determining that he was doing well in the mental health program he was initially ordered to complete.
Patel was ordered to complete a two-year mental health diversion program in July 2024 after he was involved in a dramatic incident on the Pacific Coast Highway in San Mateo County.
On January 2023, he drove his Tesla off Devil's Slide in Pacifica, plunging him and his family 300 feet. First responders were forced to cut his family, including his 41-year-old wife, 7-year-old daughter, and 4-year-old son, out of the wreckage.
The family survived the incident, but Patel's lawyers argued that he was experiencing delusions at the time, driven by the war in Ukraine and the growing fentanyl crisis in the United States.
Patel's greatest delusion was his fear that his children could be kidnapped and molested, which appeared to be connected to his concerns about Jeffrey Epstein, according to a psychologist.
Patel's wife, Neha, said shortly after the crash that her husband "did it on purpose" and needed a "psych evaluation," and that he had been depressed.
She also stated that her husband had said he was going to drive off the cliff.
The San Mateo County District Attorney opposed Patel's placement in the diversion program, criticizing the decision to dismiss the case.
After the ruling, Patel embraced his wife, and they left the courtroom together.
