US Court Drops Charges Against Indian-Origin Doctor Who Drove Family In Tesla Off Cliff

Last Updated:July 08, 2026, 10:27 IST

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said the court was required under California's mental health diversion law to dismiss the case.

All charges against an Indian-origin radiologist accused of attempting to kill his family by driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff along California’s Pacific Coast Highway in 2023 have been dismissed by a US court after he completed a two-year mental health program.

The radiologist, identified as 45-year-old Dharmesh Patel, had been charged with attempted murder after the January 2, 2023, crash in San Mateo County left his wife and two young children injured. All four survived the plunge, an incident that rescuers described as “an absolute miracle."

On Monday (local time), a San Mateo County judge dismissed the charges after Patel completed a two-year mental health diversion programme that included treatment with a Stanford psychiatrist and family therapy, news agency AP reported.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said the court was required under California’s mental health diversion law to dismiss the case once Patel successfully completed the prescribed treatment.

“The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges. 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 as quoted by the news agency.

Prosecutors had opposed diversion, arguing that attempted murder should not qualify for the programme, and said they would continue pushing for changes to the law.

Patel’s defence had argued that he was suffering from episodic major depression accompanied by hallucinations at the time of the crash, making him eligible for diversion under a California law that took effect in 2023. According to prosecutors, Patel had told a psychiatrist after his arrest that he believed his children would be kidnapped and trafficked.

After spending more than a year in jail without bail, Patel was released in 2024 to undergo outpatient treatment while living with his parents under strict court-imposed conditions, including GPS monitoring and the surrender of his passport and driver’s licence. The court later allowed him to reunite with his wife and children, who had relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. Patel’s wife testified that she had forgiven him and wanted him to return home with their children.

Following the dismissal of the charges, Patel reunited with his wife outside the courtroom. Separately, the Medical Board of California confirmed that Patel surrendered his medical licence in December 2025 after previously being barred from practising medicine while the criminal case was pending.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre...Read More

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