A California judge has decided to give a doctor who drove his family off a 300-foot cliff at “Devil’s Slide” the chance to enter a Mental Health Diversion program instead of facing criminal charges. The man, Dharmesh Patel, crashed the family Tesla off the highway in January 2023 and landed on a rocky beach near San Francisco. Despite sustaining severe injuries, Patel, his wife, and their two young children survived the crash.
Prosecutors had initially sought a trial due to suspicions that Patel had deliberately attempted murder-suicide. However, after hearing from defense experts who diagnosed him with major depressive disorder and from his wife and other family members who supported his mental health treatment, the judge ruled in favor of Patel.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that Patel had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder by one doctor while another diagnosed him with major depressive disorder. The judge based her decision on these diagnoses and on Patel’s desire for continued psychiatric care as well as the support system he had around him. As a result, Patel will be required to undergo a two-year mental health program. If he completes this program successfully, the charges against him will be dropped; however, he will remain in custody until his next court hearing on July 1st. After that, he will be required to reside at his parents’ home in San Mateo County as part of the conditions specified by the court.
