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No jail time for Indian-origin doctor Dharmesh Patel who drove family off cliff in US
A judge found him “eligible and suitable” for mental health diversion instead and gave him relief due to his major depressive disorder.
Dharmesh Arvind Patel was behind the wheel of his Tesla on Jan.2, 2023 with his wife and children. / X/@LPaulKang
An Indian-origin radiologist, Dharmesh Arvind Patel, who intentionally drove his car off a 330-foot cliff with his family inside will not get jail time, according to news reports. Patel – a father of two children aged 5 and 8 – will receive mental health treatment instead.
A Pasadena resident, 43-year-old Patel was charged with three counts of attempted murder in January 2023. Patel drove his family's car off a cliff at Devil’s Slide with his wife Neha Patel and their two children. Authorities previously reported that both parents were injured in the crash, their daughter was hospitalized, and their son sustained "bumps and bruises, but no injuries."
The incident took place along Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay near San Francisco. The family was visiting relatives in the Bay Area over the holidays, and the motive for the incident remains unclear. Miraculously, the family survived the plunge.
According to CBS News, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe's Office announced that a judge found Patel "eligible and suitable" for mental health diversion. Judge Susan M. Jakubowski issued the ruling at a hearing on June.20.
The “suicidal” California doctor accused of intentionally driving his Tesla off a cliff with his wife and two young children inside won’t face trial for attempted murder as he is instead set to begin a mental health diversion program.
— Paul Kang ️️ (@LPaulKang) June 26, 2024
Dharmesh Patel, who was granted admission… pic.twitter.com/3cCw9duQL9
"Judge Jakubowski made a lengthy statement concluding the defendant was suitable for mental health diversion. She stated that after review of all the evidence, she had concluded the proper diagnosis for the defendant's mental illness was major depressive disorder which is a qualifying mental disorder under the statute," the DA's office said in a statement, as quoted by CBS News.
The judge also ruled that Patel will remain in county jail for several weeks for a "bridging period" before being released, as suggested by doctors on the defense. After his release, Patel must be monitored by GPS, stay at his parents' home in Belmont, cannot leave San Mateo County, and can only leave home for court or treatment sessions for the first two months. Patel is also prohibited from using alcohol or drugs and cannot drive.
He was granted admission into the two-year program which will require him to report to court weekly for a progress report. Patel will be ordered to be tested twice a week “to show medication compliance.”
A hearing on the mental health diversion is scheduled for July.1. Patel's family continues to support him, asserting that he was in the grip of a psychotic episode during the incident.
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