A criminal case against a Pasadena doctor accused of intentionally driving his family off a 300-foot cliff has been dismissed after a judge determined he had made sufficient progress in a court-ordered mental health treatment program.
Dharmesh Patel, 45, a radiologist, faced three counts of attempted murder following allegations that he deliberately drove his Tesla off Devil’s Slide in Pacifica, California, in January 2023.
A San Mateo County judge dismissed the charges after receiving reports from Patel's doctors indicating his positive progress in the mental health diversion program. Patel’s wife and their two young children, a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, were passengers in the vehicle during the incident. Miraculously, all four family members survived the crash.
During a 2024 hearing, Patel's attorneys argued he was suffering from major depressive disorder at the time of the crash, while psychologists testified he had experienced a psychotic break.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, who had opposed Patel's placement in the diversion program, criticized the decision to dismiss the case, stating, “He got the break of a lifetime.”