US court dismisses charges against Indian-origin doctor in Tesla cliff crash case

An Indian-origin doctor accused of attempting to kill his family by driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff in California in 2023 has had all criminal charges dismissed after successfully completing a two-year court-approved mental health diversion programme.According to the Associated Press, a San Mateo County judge dismissed the charges on Monday after 45-year-old Dharmesh Patel completed treatment under the programme, which included care from a Stanford University psychiatrist and a family therapist.Patel had been charged with three counts of attempted murder after driving his Tesla off the cliff at Devil’s Slide along the Pacific Coast Highway on January 2, 2023. His wife, Neha Patel, and their two children, aged 4 and 7 at the time, were inside the vehicle. All four survived the crash, which officials had described as an “absolute miracle.”San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said the court was legally required to dismiss the case after Patel completed the programme. “The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges,” Wagstaffe said.He added that under California’s mental health diversion law, defendants who successfully complete court-ordered treatment are entitled to have the charges dismissed.“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, AP reported.Mental health treatment instead of trialIn 2024, a California judge ruled that Patel was eligible for a mental health diversion programme after his lawyers argued that he had been suffering from episodic major depression with hallucinations at the time of the crash. Under a California law that came into effect in 2023, eligible defendants with mental illnesses can undergo treatment instead of standing trial.During a court hearing in Redwood City, two psychiatrists testified that Patel was experiencing a psychotic breakdown when he drove the car off the cliff with his family inside.Court records showed that Patel later told a psychiatrist he had become delusional and believed his children would be kidnapped and trafficked.Prosecutors opposed the diversion, arguing that attempted murder should not qualify for the programme. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said prosecutors would continue pushing for changes to the law. “We’ll try again in the future. We’re not giving up,” he said.Family reunited after treatmentAfter his arrest, Patel remained in jail without bail before being released in 2024 to undergo outpatient mental health treatment. He lived with his parents in San Mateo County under strict conditions, including GPS monitoring, surrendering his driver’s licence and passport, and reporting to the court every week.As his treatment progressed, the court gradually allowed him to reunite with his wife and children, who had also moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.During earlier court proceedings, Patel’s wife said she had forgiven her husband and did not want him prosecuted. She told the court that their children missed their father and wanted him to return home.After the charges were dismissed, Patel walked over to the courtroom gallery, where his wife was waiting, and the couple left the courthouse together, The Mercury News reported.