Indian-origin man, a 41-year-old father of two children was detained in the United States on accusations of attempted murder and child abuse after he purposefully drove a Tesla off a cliff while his wife and two children were inside, according to media sources.
Four people were left in severe condition after a car drove off a cliff while travelling along the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California, the United States, on January 2, 2023, according to a fire official. The car’s driver has been detained on accusations of intending to kill and abuse a child.
Following his discharge from the hospital, Dharmesh A. Patel of Pasadena, California, will be registered with the San Mateo County Jail, according to a statement from the highway patrol.
The California Highway Patrol reported that Mr. Patel, his wife, and their children were saved and rescued on Monday at Devil’s Slide in San Mateo County.
The firefighters rappelled down the cliff to save the two kids, a 4-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, during the rescue operation. The two adults were extricated from the car by a helicopter crew, according to NBC News, an American broadcast news network.
The New York Times article referred to the rescue as virtually miraculous. The highway patrol reported that the Tesla was 250 to 300 feet underground. It added in a statement that there was “probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act” based on the evidence gathered.
Witnesses phoned 911 following the collision, according to Brian Pottenger, the incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
He asserted that the kids’ car seats might have saved their lives because it was “very, very rare” for anybody to survive such a high fall.
“We were actually very shocked when we found survivable victims in the car. So, in a way, that was a moment of hope for us,” Mr. Pottenger said. According to Mr. Pottenger, the children’s injuries were moderate.
According to Officer Andrew Barclay, a spokesman for the Golden Gate Division of the Highway Patrol, authorities intend to charge Patel with three counts of attempted murder and two charges of child abuse.
All four members of the family were still being treated at Stanford Hospital on Thursday afternoon, CHP spokesman Mark Andrews informed USA TODAY.
According to Andrews, the family members are expected to survive, but the degree of their injuries is kept a secret by the investigators.
Patel will be checked into San Mateo County Jail after his hospital release and is anticipated to be there for at least a few more days, according to Andrews.
According to CHP Marin Area Office Public Information Officer Andrew Barclay, the case’s purpose and the specific pieces of evidence that propelled Patel’s arrest have not yet been disclosed. The names of Patel’s wife and kids have not been made public by the authorities.
In a statement issued by the hospital on Tuesday, Patel, a radiology specialist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, confirmed that his family was in the car. On Thursday, the medical facility refused to clarify whether Patel had been given a leave of absence to USA TODAY.
The hospital released the following statement before the police said the collision was intentional, “Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is deeply saddened to learn of a traffic incident involving one of our doctors and his family. We are extremely grateful there were no serious injuries. We will not respond further, as this incident is under investigation.”
According to the LA Times, the Patel family lived on Lomay Place on a calm residential block of single-family homes. Patel offered cookies to his neighbours. His wife formed a group text message thread for the neighbours to communicate.
On Christmas Eve, ring doorbell camera footage allegedly captures the husband walking to bring a poinsettia plant to one of his neighbours who weren’t at home. In addition to leaving the plant and the family’s Christmas card, he introduced himself to the neighbour’s relative who was taking care of the house.
