On Monday, a man hurt himself and three more people, including two children. Authorities say that he purposely drove his Tesla off of a cliff in California and has now been charged with multiple counts.
On Tuesday, Dharmesh A. Patel, of Pasadena, California, was charged with attempted murder and child abuse. After questioning witnesses and gathering evidence, authorities concluded that the act was intentional. Detectives don’t believe that the Tesla was on autopilot or full self-driving mode when the incident occurred.
Around 10:50 a.m., on Monday, authorities had received a call stating that a vehicle had gone over the ‘Devil’s Slide’ cliff on State Highway 1.
When first responders arrived, they observed a white Tesla about 200-300 feet down the cliff. After noticeable movement was seen from the vehicle, the passengers were rescued.
Firefighters rappelled down the cliff as another rescuer was lowered from a helicopter to help in the extrication and rescue as the weather was rainy and windy.
The “Jaws of Life” had to be used to cut the individuals out of the car. A 4-year-old and a 9-year-old were pulled out of a back window, and the adults were hoisted from the edge of the water. They were then airlifted to a hospital.
Patel is receiving medical treatment for his extensive wounds and will be taken to the San Mateo County Jail when he is released.
Authorities haven’t said if Patel was related to the passengers or not.
