By Olga R. Rodriguez
Associated Press
July 8, 2026 - 10:52 am
SAN FRANCISCO — All charges against a radiologist accused of trying to termination his household successful 2023 by driving his car disconnected a cliff on the Northern California seashore person been dismissed by a justice pursuing his completion of a intelligence wellness program.
Prosecutors charged Dharmesh Patel, 45, with attempted execution aft helium drove his Tesla disconnected a 250-foot (76-meter) cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway known arsenic “Devil’s Slide,” injuring his woman and 2 young children. All 4 survived the Jan. 2, 2023, clang successful what 1 authoritative called an “absolute miracle.”
A San Mateo County justice dismissed the charges connected Monday aft Patel completed a two-year intelligence wellness diversion programme with a Stanford University psychiatrist and a household therapist this week, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
“The justice was required by the instrumentality to disregard the charges,” Wagstaffe said.
In 2024, a antithetic justice ruled Patel would person intelligence wellness attraction alternatively of lasting proceedings aft his defence attorneys argued helium was going done episodic large slump with hallucinations erstwhile helium drove his household disconnected the cliff and qualified for intelligence wellness diversion nether California instrumentality that went into effect successful 2023.
“If the idiosyncratic who’s fixed intelligence wellness diversion follows the attraction plan, there’s thing that tin beryllium done and astatine the extremity of the 2 years helium gets it wiped retired of his record.” Wagstaffe said.
San Mateo prosecutors unsuccessfully opposed diversion for Patel.
Wagstaffe and different California territory attorneys person argued that attempted execution should beryllium excluded from eligibility for intelligence wellness diversion, and they are moving with lawmakers to amend the law.
“We’ll effort again successful the future,” helium said astir the law. “We’re not giving up.”
Patel’s attorney, Joshua Bentley, did not instantly returned a connection Tuesday seeking comment.
Patel, of Pasadena, was connected a household roadworthy travel successful the Bay Area astatine the clip of the crash. He told a psychiatrist aft his apprehension that helium was depressed and had delusions that his children, ages 4 and 7 astatine the time, would beryllium trafficked by kidnappers, Wagstaffe said.
Patel was successful jailhouse without bail until helium was released successful 2024 to implicit a intelligence wellness outpatient attraction program. He past moved successful with his parents successful San Mateo County and was monitored done a GPS bracelet. He had to surrender his driver’s licence and passport, and had to cheque with the tribunal weekly.
Wagstaffe said Patel’s woman and children besides moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, and the tribunal yet allowed him to walk clip with his household and instrumentality them retired connected drives.
Patel’s woman testified that she had forgiven her hubby and did not privation him to beryllium prosecuted. She said her children missed their begetter and they wanted him backmost home.
After the charges were dismissed Monday, Patel walked to the courtroom assemblage wherever his woman was waiting and the 2 near the gathering together, the Mercury News reported.
Months aft his arrest, the Medical Board of California barred Patel from practicing medicine portion helium faced attempted execution charges. The committee said Tuesday that Patel surrendered his California aesculapian licence successful December.
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