A California radiologist accused of intentionally driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff with his wife and two young children inside will no longer face trial after completing a two-year mental health diversion program.
Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 45, had been charged with three counts of attempted murder following the January 2023 crash that seriously injured his wife, Neha Patel, 41, and the couple’s two children, a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.
The family’s Tesla plunged from a notorious section of Highway 1 known as Devil’s Slide in San Mateo County, near Pacifica. The dangerous stretch of road runs along California’s coastline and has long been known for steep cliffs and deadly crashes.
Despite the severity of the allegations, Patel’s criminal case has now been dismissed after he successfully completed a court-ordered mental health diversion program, according to reports from the Associated Press, KTLA and The New York Times.
KTLA reported that Patel’s passport has also been returned and a no-harassment order involving his family has been lifted.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said the judge had no legal choice but to dismiss the case once Patel completed the program.
“Defendant Patel completed the two years of mental health diversion and thus under California law, Judge Cho had no discretion,” Wagstaffe said in a statement published Tuesday, July 7.
“She had to dismiss the charges; it was not a choice she made. My prosecutor did not object for the same reason.”
During court proceedings in 2024, two doctors testified that Patel was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the crash.
According to previous reporting by the Los Angeles Times, Patel believed his children might become victims of sex trafficking. His defense team also said he had been suffering from major depressive disorder.
Prosecutors argued that Patel would not benefit from mental health diversion and pushed for the case to remain in criminal court. However, a judge ultimately determined that his diagnosed mental illness played a significant role in his alleged actions.
Investigators initially treated the crash as intentional.
After interviewing witnesses and examining evidence from the scene, the California Highway Patrol said authorities had developed probable cause to believe the plunge was a deliberate act.
Neha Patel also allegedly made a chilling statement to paramedics after rescuers pulled the family from the wreckage.
“She said, ‘He intentionally tried to kill us,’” Wagstaffe told PEOPLE in 2023, adding that several people reportedly heard her make the accusation.
Despite that statement, Neha later made it clear that she did not want her husband prosecuted.
During a court hearing in which Patel pleaded not guilty, defense attorney Josh Bentley told the court on Neha’s behalf that she opposed the criminal case against him, according to KNTV.
All four family members survived the dramatic plunge, despite the Tesla falling roughly 250 feet down the cliff.
Patel, who worked as a radiologist in Pasadena, has since surrendered his medical license, the Medical Board of California confirmed to the Associated Press.
