Blog

REDWOOD CITY, California – A California radiologist accused of driving his car off a cliff on the Northern California coast in an attempt to kill his family will undergo psychiatric treatment rather than face trial, a judge has ruled.

Prosecutors charged 43-year-old Dharmesh A. Patel with attempted murder after the Tesla he was driving plunged down a 250-foot cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway in San Mateo County, injuring his wife and two young children. All four survived the accident on Jan. 2, 2023, in what one official called an “absolute miracle.”

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Wednesday he was disappointed with the judge’s decision.

“I am disappointed with the court’s decision, but Judge Jakubowski carefully weighed the evidence and facts and decided differently,” he said.

Patel’s defense attorney Joshua Bentley argued in May that the radiologist was eligible for treatment for mental health problems under California law, the television station reported.

“It’s important to understand why we’re here. Not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal. There’s no doubt that this is a very serious case. But the law covers exactly this situation,” Bentley told the judge.

Patel poses no threat to the public because he is undergoing an intensive psychiatric treatment program and is monitored with a GPS bracelet with a siren, Bentley said.

Assistant District Attorney Dominique Davis argued that Patel was not eligible for a mental health diversion program because he posed “an unreasonable threat to public safety,” KRON-TV reported.

Patel’s wife said she did not want her husband to face criminal charges. She said her children missed their father and wanted him to come back home, the television station reported.

Davis said the evidence showed that in the weeks before the attempted triple murder, Patel suffered from paranoia and delusions, which are symptoms of schizoaffective disorder.

The judge sided with Patel’s defense, stating in her ruling that Patel had no violent past and that his diagnosis of major depressive disorder played a significant role in his actions.

Patel, who has been held in jail without bail since his arrest, will be held for several more weeks before being released to his parents’ home in Belmont, California. He will be monitored by GPS, must surrender his driver’s license and passport and report to court weekly, the judge ruled.