Why US court has dropped case against Indian-origin doctor who drove Tesla off a cliff with his wife and kids

The United States court has dropped all charges against Dharmesh Patel, an Indian-origin doctor accused of intentionally driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff with his wife and two young children inside in 2023.

The Indian-American radiologist Patel was accused of attempting to kill his wife, Neha and two children, ages 4 and 7 at the time, during a "psychotic breakdown" by driving off a cliff in California into the Pacific Ocean. Miraculously, all survived with minor injuries.

Patel was charged with three counts of attempted murder; however, on Monday (July 6), the court dismissed all of them after he completed a two-year mental health program.

According to the Associated Press (AP), San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said: "The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges. If the person who's given mental health diversion follows the treatment plan, there's nothing that can be done, and at the end of the two years, he gets it wiped out of his record."

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We take a closer look.

What's the case?

What happened on January 2, 2023, was nothing short of an "absolute miracle". Patel, along with his wife and two children, was on a road trip when he drove his car off a cliff in Northern California. All four survived the crash, though the car was severely damaged. According to officials, it was an “absolute miracle.”

Patel's wife told rescuers that he intentionally drove the car off the cliff and was mentally disturbed. Image courtesy: X

Initially, Patel's wife told rescuers that he intentionally drove the car off the cliff and was mentally disturbed; however, she later stated that she did not want her husband to be prosecuted, according to reports. Following the incident, the radiologist was arrested.

During interrogation, Patel told the psychiatrist that he was depressed and had delusions that his children would be kidnapped and sexually assaulted or trafficked- which pushed him to commit the act. For around a year, Patel remained in jail without bail.

Patel was also prohibited by the Medical Board of California from practising medicine.

Dr Mark Patterson, Patel's expert witness, said after examining Patel he had diagnosed him with major depressive disorder with a single episode of psychosis and anxious distress. Since the car crash, Patterson met Patel many times, the doctor told the court. After which, Patel was released in 2024 to complete a mental health outpatient treatment program.

Following his release, Patel moved to live with his parents in San Mateo County, and during that time he was monitored via a GPS bracelet. Patel had to surrender his driver's license and passport and was not allowed to travel outside his country. He was told to report to the court once a week.

Eventually, his wife and children relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Patel has been living. The court also permitted him to spend time with his family and take them on drives, NDTV reported.

Why did Patel drive his car off a cliff?

Joshua Bentley, Patel's lawyer, told the court his actions were entirely driven by his deteriorating mental condition as he was experiencing paranoia and delusions.

Two doctors, Mark Patterson and James Armontrou, testified for the defence.

Weeks before the car crash, Patel's mental state had worsened, stated doctors who assessed the radiologist. They told the court that Patel was hallucinating; he was hearing footsteps and was convinced that somebody had been following him. Patel believed that his children would be trafficked by kidnappers.

The Indian-origin doctor was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and serious depressive disorder. "It was paranoid and kind of delusional thinking that he acted on at the time to protect his family from a worse fate," a psychologist told the court, the report noted.

While testifying, Patterson told the court: “I see him (Patel) as someone who is very motivated and amenable to treatment." A series of 18 tests were conducted before Patterson’s diagnosis of Patel.

'He did it on purpose': Patel's wife

In 2023, following the incident, the California radiologist's wife told authorities her husband "plunged off the precipice on purpose,” NBC News reported, citing unsealed documents.

Patel's wife told officials the same thing multiple times. She told a paramedic, who was helping the family extricate from the damaged vehicle at the crash site: "Patel had driven off the side of the road on purpose." "She repeated this multiple times," the filing said, according to the report.

The court documents stated that Patel was next to her and was coherent, but "did not say anything unless he was spoken to." A second paramedic at the crash scene said Patel's wife was extremely worried about her children's safety.

“The defendant drove the vehicle off the cliff on purpose and that he was trying to kill them all,” the document revealed. The paramedic added, "She said this approximately three times."

“He drove off. He’s depressed. He’s a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He drove off on purpose," She again told the California Highway Patrol officer, the report noted.

What a US judge said about Patel's mental health

After the doctors' argument about the radiologist's mental condition, the US judge in 2024 said that Patel was eligible for a "mental health diversion." It's a legal provision that permits accused persons with a mental illness to receive mental treatment instead of serving jail time if their condition substantially contributed to the alleged crime.

Therefore, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski ordered that Patel was fully eligible for diversion based on his doctors' diagnosis, placing him on a two-year treatment plan.

The judge also said that all charges against him would be dropped if Patel does not commit any crime during the two-year medical treatment.

With inputs from agencies