A California doctor who drove a Tesla off a 250-foot cliff to try to kill his family will undergo two years of mental health treatment in a diversion program, a judge ruled Monday.
Dharmesh Arvind Patel, who was charged with three counts of attempted murder, will not be allowed to practice medicine, smoke marijuana, drink alcohol nor see his wife and children during the program, according to county prosecutors.
San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Susan M. Jakubowski ordered the treatment over objections from prosecutors.
“We felt the crime was too serious, and the public danger too high,” said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. “He did everything he could to kill his family and himself.”
He said he believed an attempted murder charge should not qualify for a diversion program.
Patel’s case will be dismissed if he successfully completes the program, which includes weekly mental health and therapy sessions. He was ordered to live at his parents’ home while he is in the program.
Patel was driving a Tesla near the Devil’s Slide in San Mateo County in January 2023, when the then-41-year-old intentionally drove over the 250-foot cliff with his wife and two children inside, authorities said. Everyone survived.
Family members declined to comment Monday.
Jakubowski last month granted a request from Patel to be admitted into a mental health diversion program after he was diagnosed with major depression.
“Mental health diversion is good for a bunch of defenses, but we didn’t feel it was good for this,” Wagstaffe said.
