Indian-origin US doctor who drove family off cliff in Tesla walks free after therapy

Three years after driving a Tesla with his wife and two children off a 250-foot cliff in California, Indian-origin doctor Dharmesh Patel has walked free. A judge dismissed attempt-to-murder charges following his successful completion of a court-ordered mental health treatment programme.

An Indian-origin doctor who was accused of attempting to kill his family by driving a Tesla off a Northern California cliff in 2023 has had all criminal charges dismissed after completing a court-approved mental health diversion programme, according to the Associated Press. The occupants of his car included his wife, nine-year-old daughter and four-year-old son. All four miraculously escaped the crash.

Dharmesh Patel, a radiologist from Pasadena, California, was charged with three counts of attempted murder after prosecutors alleged he intentionally drove his family off the 250-foot cliff at Devil's Slide on California's Pacific Coast Highway in January 2023. All four survived the plunge, which rescuers at the time described as "an absolute miracle", according to the Associated Press (AP).

At the time of the crash, the California Highway Patrol said that "investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act" after interviewing witnesses and examining evidence at the scene. Prosecutors alleged Patel deliberately steered the Tesla off the cliff in an apparent murder-suicide attempt.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Patel could have faced a prison sentence ranging from 25 years to life if convicted. The newspaper reported that San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe had strongly opposed allowing Patel into a mental health diversion programme, arguing that the alleged crime was too serious to qualify.

The San Mateo County Superior Court on Monday dismissed the charges after Patel successfully completed a two-year mental health treatment programme involving a Stanford University psychiatrist and a family therapist, Wagstaffe told AP.

"The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges," Wagstaffe was quoted as saying by AP. Explaining California's mental health diversion law, he said that once a defendant successfully completes the prescribed 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."

Patel's lawyers had argued that he was suffering from major depressive disorder with hallucinations when the crash occurred. In 2024, a judge ruled that he was eligible for California's mental health diversion programme instead of standing trial after concluding that his mental illness had substantially contributed to the alleged offence.

DHARMESH PATEL EXPERIENCED PSYCHOTIC EPISODE

During court proceedings in 2024, two doctors testified that Patel had been experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the crash. According to the Los Angeles Times, Patel had become convinced that his children were at risk of being trafficked, while AP reported that he later told a psychiatrist he believed kidnappers would abduct his children. Wagstaffe said Patel had been suffering from delusions linked to severe depression.

The New York Times reported that the dismissal means Patel's arrest record will be sealed, his passport will be returned and a protective order against him has been lifted. Quoting Wagstaffe, the newspaper reported: "He can drive home tonight. It's like the case never happened."

Patel had been jailed without bail after the January 2023 crash before being released in 2024 to begin outpatient treatment. According to AP, he lived with his parents in San Mateo County during the programme while wearing a GPS ankle monitor. He was also required to surrender his driving licence and passport and regularly report to the court on his treatment progress.

As treatment progressed, the court gradually relaxed some of the restrictions. AP reported that Patel was eventually allowed to spend time with his wife and children and even take them out on supervised drives.

WOMAN FORGAVE DOCTOR HUSBAND FOR INTENTIONAL CALIFORNIA CRASH

His wife, Neha Patel, who suffered serious spinal injuries in the crash, later testified that she had forgiven her husband and did not want him prosecuted. According to KTLA-TV, she told the court that their children missed their father and wanted him back home. The Mercury News reported that after the charges were dismissed on Monday, Patel walked into the courtroom gallery, where his wife was waiting, and the couple left the courthouse together.

Despite the dismissal, Wagstaffe reiterated his opposition to California's diversion law. Speaking to AP, he said prosecutors across the state believe attempted murder should be excluded from eligibility for mental health diversion and are working with lawmakers to amend the legislation. "We'll try again in the future," he said. "We're not giving up."

The Los Angeles Times reported that Wagstaffe remained frustrated that Patel would not face a criminal trial despite the severity of the allegations. "Wow, boy, did he get the break of breaks," he told the newspaper. "I hope he takes advantage of it."

Separately, Patel's medical career has also been affected by the case. According to the Los Angeles Times, he surrendered his California medical licence in late 2025 after the Medical Board of California determined that he had engaged in unprofessional conduct by wilfully causing harm to his family. AP also reported that the board had previously barred him from practising medicine while the criminal case was pending. It remains unclear whether Patel will be eligible to seek reinstatement of his medical licence now that the charges have been dismissed.

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