43-year-old Dharmesh Patel is a “suicidal” doctor who is said to have driven his Tesla with his family inside off of a cliff. This came as he supposedly has a ” major depressive order,” and experienced a “psychotic” break as the 2023 wreck occurred.
43-year-old Patel had been having hallucinations, hearing footsteps, and had believed that his two children had been sex trafficked. On Wednesday, two doctors testified in court to back up these claims.
The radiologist’s hallucinations derived from the country’s fentanyl crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the belief that his children had been kidnapped and molested. The latter thoughts were linked to Patel’s concerns about sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, one psychologist noted.
Wednesday’s hearing came after Patel requested a mental health diversion in the matter.
If the judge approves Patel’s request, he would be put on a two-year treatment plan and wouldn’t be jailed. This would also mean that all his charges would be dismissed if he doesn’t commit another offense during that time period.
Patel is at low risk of harming anyone else and has displayed progress since the wreck. Thus, he would be a good candidate for the program. These programs entail outpatient care involving group and individual therapy meetings and sessions with a psychotherapist.
Patel was charged with attempted murder for the January 2, 2023, wreck. This is where he drove the family’s vehicle off a 250-foot cliff off “Devil’s Slide” on Highway 1. They ended up on the shore of the Pacific Ocean.
Everyone in the car, Patel, his wife, his 7-year-old daughter, and his 4-year-old son survived the crash.
Patel pled guilty. He had said that his Tesla Model Y had tire problems at the time of the wreck. But, Patel’s wife, Neha, told detectives that her husband was suicidal and had purposely driven off the road.
The Tesla was discovered to not have been in self-driving mode. Additionally, bystanders said the vehicle had not shown any signs of a malfunction.
Prosecutors have fought against the diversion program. They stated that Patel was diagnosed with another disorder called schizoaffective. They also said that he does not have a major depressive order. Schizoaffective is a chronic mental condition that resembles schizophrenia.
Prosecutors have also stated that it would be hard to keep track of Patel if the case is taken out of court.
As of now, Patel is still being held at the San Mateo County Jail.
