A judge in California has dismissed all charges against a radiologist who was accused of trying to kill his family in 2023 by deliberately driving off a cliff along the Northern California coastline, after the man completed a court-ordered mental health treatment program.
Dharmesh Patel, 45, faced attempted murder charges after steering his Tesla off a 250-foot drop along the Pacific Coast Highway at a location known as “Devil’s Slide,” injuring his wife and their two young children. Remarkably, all four family members survived the January 2, 2023 crash — something one official described as an “absolute miracle.”
A San Mateo County judge tossed the charges on Monday following Patel’s successful completion of a two-year mental health diversion program that included work with a Stanford University psychiatrist and a family therapist. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe confirmed the dismissal, noting that the judge had no choice under the law.
“The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges,” Wagstaffe said.
A separate judge had ruled in 2024 that Patel would undergo mental health treatment rather than face trial. His defense attorneys argued that at the time of the crash, Patel was experiencing episodes of severe depression accompanied by hallucinations, and that he qualified for mental health diversion under a California law that took effect in 2023.
“If the person who’s given mental health diversion follows the 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,” Wagstaffe said.
Prosecutors in San Mateo County had fought against allowing Patel to enter the diversion program but were unsuccessful. Wagstaffe and fellow California district attorneys have been pushing state lawmakers to change the law so that attempted murder charges would no longer be eligible for mental health diversion.
“We’ll try again in the future,” Wagstaffe said. “We’re not giving up.”
Patel’s attorney, Joshua Bentley, had not responded to a request for comment as of Tuesday.
A Pasadena resident, Patel was on a family road trip in the Bay Area when the crash occurred. According to Wagstaffe, Patel told a psychiatrist after his arrest that he had been suffering from depression and had developed delusions that kidnappers would traffic his children, who were 4 and 7 years old at the time.
Patel remained behind bars without bail until 2024, when he was released to participate in an outpatient mental health treatment program. He then moved in with his parents in San Mateo County and was monitored with a GPS ankle bracelet. He was also required to give up his driver’s license and passport, and had to check in with the court on a weekly basis.
Wagstaffe said Patel’s wife and children also relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, and the court eventually permitted him to spend time with his family and take them on drives.
Patel’s wife took the stand to say she had forgiven her husband and opposed his prosecution. She told the court that her children missed their father and wanted him back at home.
After Monday’s dismissal, Patel walked from the courtroom to the gallery where his wife was waiting, and the two departed the building together, according to the Mercury News.
Following his arrest, the Medical Board of California had prohibited Patel from practicing medicine while the attempted murder charges were pending. The board announced Tuesday that Patel surrendered his California medical license in December.
