California doctor facing attempted murder charges after 'intentionally' driving family off cliff
Patel, 41, of Pasadena, is charged with three counts of attempted first-degree attempted murder, as well as enhancements for great bodily injury and domestic abuse.
The wife of a California doctor accused of driving his family off a deadly cliff last year spoke publicly for the first time on Thursday, when she reportedly told a San Mateo court that she wants her husband home.
Dharmesh Patel, 42, of Pasadena, was charged in January 2023 with three counts of first-degree attempted murder after allegedly driving himself, his wife and their two children — then ages 4 and 7 — off Devil's Slide near California Highway 1 in his Tesla.
"I don’t want to see Dharmesh prosecuted with any of his charges," Neha Patel said during a Thursday court appearance via Zoom, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. "I am pleading with the court to grant him his mental health diversion."
Neha Patel is asking the court to require her husband to receive mental health treatment rather than prison time and offered testimony regarding his character before the near-fatal crash. She said they met in 1999 and have been married for 16 years as of Friday. She described Dharmesh as a "productive member of society" and her "best friend," the Chronicle reported.
This undated photo provided by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office shows Dharmesh Patel. Patel, the driver of a car that plunged off a treacherous cliff in northern California, seriously injuring himself, his wife and their two young children, has been charged with attempted murder. (San Mateo County Sheriff's Office via AP)
"I was drawn to him because he was the most down-to-earth and humble man I’ve ever met," she said, according to the Chronicle. "Dharmesh has always been loyal to me both as a boyfriend and as a husband."
Neha and her two children were injured and hospitalized after the crash. Immediately after the crash, Neha apparently told first responders, "He tried to kill us," and, "He intentionally drove off the side," San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe previously told Fox News Digital.
Dharmesh Patel, a California doctor, is accused of driving himself, his wife and their two children off a cliff on Jan. 2. (KTVU)
First responders who arrived at the scene on Jan. 2 noticed the white Tesla about 250 feet down the cliff and noticed the victims still moving inside the vehicle.
Rescuers were able to pull the two children from the vehicle using a Jaws of Life tool and pulled Patel and his wife from the vehicle's windows.
CALIFORNIA MAN INTENTIONALLY DROVE TESLA OFF CLIFF WITH ANOTHER ADULT, 2 KIDS IN CAR: AUTHORITIES
Witness accounts and video footage from the Tom Lantos Tunnel, which Patel drove through before the crash, seem to show the Tesla driving straight off the cliff without braking or attempting to swerve to safety, Wagstaffe previously explained.
A Tesla driver, accused of trying to kill his wife and two young children by driving off a Northern California cliff, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and domestic violence. (Sgt. Brian Moore/San Mateo County Sheriff's Office)
Dr. Yan Chan testified on Thursday that he had reached a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder for Patel, saying he suffered from paranoia. At one point, Patel reportedly believed his mailman was out to get him and his kids were going to be sex trafficked. The Mayo Clinic describes schizoaffective disorder as "a mental health disorder that is marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania."
Neha noted in her testimony that the condition is "treatable."
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"I want members of the court to know the health and safety of my family is of paramount importance," she said.
This image from video provided by Cal Fire San Mateo, Santa Cruz Unit, emergency personnel respond to the scene after a Tesla plunged off a cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Northern California near an area known as Devil's Slide. (Cal Fire San Mateo - Santa Cruz Unit)
Earlier in her testimony, Neha said her children have been suffering without their father.
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"Seeing my kids in constant pain is one of the hardest things I’ve had to endure," she told the judge, according to the Chronicle. "Once I tuck my children into bed at night I’m reminded of my own solitude. I really miss my best friend. I really miss my partner in my life."
She continued later on, "We need him in our lives, and it has been over a year and a half since my children or I have seen or spoken to Dharmesh. … We are not a family without him."
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