BELMONT, CA — Criminal charges against a Pasadena physician accused of intentionally driving his family’s Tesla off a Northern California cliff have been dismissed after he successfully completed a court-approved mental health diversion program. Dharmesh Patel, 45, had faced three counts of attempted murder following the January 2023 crash at Devil’s Slide along Pacific Coast Highway. Prosecutors alleged that Patel deliberately drove the vehicle off a cliff while his wife and two young children were inside.
The Tesla plunged approximately 250 feet, but Patel, his wife Neha Patel, and their two children survived.A San Mateo County Superior Court judge approved Patel’s participation in California’s mental health diversion program in August 2024. The program allowed him to receive treatment instead of continuing criminal prosecution.
During the two-year program, Patel underwent psychiatric treatment, participated in family therapy, and provided regular progress reports to the court while living with relatives in Belmont.The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the charges were dismissed after Patel completed all court requirements.
District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe previously opposed diversion, arguing the allegations involved an extremely serious crime and that prosecutors believed Patel acted intentionally and with planning.However, under California law, successful completion of an approved mental health diversion program requires dismissal of charges if all conditions are met.
During court hearings, mental health experts testified that Patel was experiencing a severe psychiatric crisis linked to major depressive disorder at the time of the crash. Evidence presented in court indicated Patel had developed fears about his family’s future and believed his children could face danger.
Investigators said Patel’s wife told emergency responders after the crash that she believed he intentionally drove the vehicle off the roadway.Before the incident, Patel worked as a radiologist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. While the case was pending, the Medical Board of California obtained an order preventing him from practicing medicine, and Patel later surrendered his medical license.The case has renewed public discussion about California’s mental health diversion system, created in 2018 to allow certain defendants whose mental illness contributed to alleged crimes to receive treatment instead of prosecution.