A San Mateo County judge dismisses all attempted murder charges against Dharmesh Arvind Patel after he completes a two-year mental health diversion program tied to a 2023 cliff crash that injured his wife and two children.Patel, a 45-year-old radiologist from Pasadena, drove his Tesla off the Pacific Coast Highway in January 2023 and the family survived a roughly 250-foot fall after firefighters and Coast Guard helicopters rescued them.Doctors diagnose Patel with episodic major depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations and paranoid delusions, and the defense argues the psychiatric episode impaired his judgment.San Mateo County District Attorney
Steve Wagstaffe opposes the diversion eligibility for attempted murder and says prosecutors will push lawmakers to change the 2023 diversion law while the Medical Board of California bars Patel from practicing medicine.