All charges have been dismissed against Dharmesh Patel, a radiologist accused of attempting to kill his family by driving his Tesla off a cliff on the Northern California coast in January 2023. A San Mateo County judge dropped the charges on Monday following Patel's completion of a two-year mental health diversion program.
Patel, 45, had been charged with attempted murder after driving his car off a 250-foot cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway, an incident that injured his wife and two young children. All four survived the crash, which authorities described as a miracle.
The dismissal occurred because Patel successfully completed the mental health diversion program, which included treatment from a Stanford University psychiatrist and a family therapist. "The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges," San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
In 2024, a different judge had ruled that Patel would receive mental health treatment instead of standing trial. His defense attorneys successfully argued that he was experiencing major depression with hallucinations at the time of the incident and qualified for mental health diversion under a California law that took effect in 2023. Wagstaffe noted that if an individual completes their treatment plan under diversion, the charges are wiped from their record.
Prosecutors had opposed the diversion for Patel and are advocating for changes to the law to exclude attempted murder charges from eligibility for mental health diversion. "We'll try again in the future. We're not giving up," Wagstaffe stated regarding their efforts to amend the law.
Patel, who was on a family road trip from Pasadena at the time of the crash, told a psychiatrist that he was depressed and had delusions that his children, then ages 4 and 7, would be trafficked. He was initially held in jail without bail before being released in 2024 to an outpatient mental health program. During that period, he lived with his parents, was monitored by a GPS bracelet, and had to surrender his driver's license and passport, reporting to the court weekly.
Under court supervision, Patel was eventually allowed to spend time with his family and take them on drives. His wife testified during proceedings that she had forgiven him and did not wish for him to be prosecuted, stating that their children missed their father and wanted him home.
Following the dismissal of charges on Monday, Patel walked to the courtroom gallery to join his wife, and they left the building together, according to reports. The Medical Board of California had previously barred Patel from practicing medicine while he faced charges, and he surrendered his California medical license in December.