An Indian-origin doctor based in US’ California, who drove his car off a 330-foot cliff with his wife and kids inside the vehicle, will walk free.
Identified as Dharmesh Patel, the radiologist will not stand trial, despite trying to kill his family — two children, 4 and 7, and his wife — on January 2, 2023. Now, he will live at his parents’ house, as the court granted him a mental health diversion, based on evidence that Patel was suffering from a major depressive disorder, as per reports. San Mateo Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski gave the verdict, which allowed the Indian-origin doctor to avoid jail.
The 42-year-old radiologist, residing in Pasadena, Southern California, was driving his Tesla home after a vacation with extended family in California. He drove his car off the Pacific Coast Highway and over a 330-foot cliff at Devil’s Slide in San Mateo County. All the four in the car survived the crash and were air-lifted to Stanford Hospital.
In hospital, Patel’s wife Neha allegedly told paramedics that he did it on purpose and tried to kill them. However, she later begged authorities to let her husband come home and drop the attempted murder charges against him.
Dharmesh was locked up in jail after being charged with three counts of attempted murder. The doctor pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court will finalise the details of Patel’s release on July 1.
For now, Patel must remain in jail for several more weeks before getting released.
“He will be under house arrest for two months, monitored by an ankle bracelet, and must attend weekly court sessions for progress reports. He is also banned from driving, possessing weapons, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs,” an India Today report said.
The judge is likely to have reached the conclusion as psychologists testified in favour of Patel, saying that his mental health worsened before the crash.
The radiologist was overwhelmed by several global issues and developed a feared that his children would be sex-trafficked.