Dharmesh Patel, driver of Tesla that plunged off California cliff, arrested for attempted murder and child abuse
U.S.
By Kerry Breen
/ CBS News
Father arrested after driving Tesla off cliff
Father arrested for allegedly intentionally driving Tesla off cliff
00:28
California officials say the driver of a Tesla that plummeted over 250 feet off a San Mateo highway Monday has been arrested for attempted murder and child abuse.
Dharmesh A. Patel, of Pasadena, California, was behind the wheel of the vehicle when it went over the side of a coastal road at a spot known as the Devil’s Slide, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Also inside were another adult and two children, who haven’t been identified.
All four survived and were transported to a local hospital for treatment of what the CHP says were serious injuries.
Charging documents show that the other adult was a 41-year-old woman, and the two children were a girl, aged 7, and a boy, aged 4. The documents didn’t specify what their relationship is to Patel. California Highway Patrol later identified them as his wife and children.
This image from video provided by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office shows a Tesla vehicle that plunged off a Northern California cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway oln Jan. 2, 2023, near an area known as Devil’s Slide.
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office via AP
The CHP announced Tuesday that Patel was under arrest, adding that he’s still being treated for his injuries, but will be booked into the San Mateo County Jail once he’s released from the hospital.
“CHP investigators worked throughout the night interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene. Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act,” the CHP said.
The charging documents show that Patel, 42, was arrested at 9 p.m. Monday and didn’t resist arrest.
Officials are continuing to investigate the crash, the CHP said, adding that there “has been no determination as to what driving mode the Tesla was in.”
The electric vehicles have a self-driving feature and a manual option, but whichever one was in use, CHP said the driving mode “does not appear to be a contributing factor in this incident.”
“This remains an ongoing investigation and no further information is being released at this time,” the CHP said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that Patel has been arrested but hasn’t been charged yet. The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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Kerry Breen
Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.
First published on January 3, 2023 / 8:21 PM
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Who Is Dharmesh Patel? Tesla Driver Arrested for Attempted Murder of Family
News
Tesla
Crime
California
A California husband and father has been arrested for allegedly intentionally driving his family off a cliff inside their Tesla, according to reports.
Police have said 41-year-old Dharmesh Patel of Pasadena, California, attempted to kill his family on Monday by driving them off a 250-foot cliff at Devil’s Slide in the County of San Mateo.
The entire family was rescued and no one suffered serious injuries, but all four were taken to the hospital, according to a NDTV report.
Driver Patel will face charges of attempted murder and child abuse after he leaves the hospital, following an investigation into the crash, according to a statement released by the California Highway Patrol.
Images posted by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office after a crash saw a family drive off a 250 ft cliff on Monday. The California Battalion Fire Chief said they were surprised to find anyone alive after the car’s tumble down the 250 ft cliff.
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office
“CHP investigators worked throughout the night interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene,” the statement read, according to theNew York Post.
“Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act.”
California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Andrews also clarified that following their investigation, they don’t believe that the Tesla was operating in Autopilot or Full Self-Driving mode, AP reported.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office tweeted images of the crash and the rescue efforts on Tuesday.
This afternoon, deputies responded to a solo vehicle over the side of Hwy 1 south of the Tom Lantos tunnel. Two adults suffered non-life threatening injuries and two children were unharmed. Tremendous collaborative effort btwn SMSO, @CHP_GoldenGate and @calfireSCU pic.twitter.com/sVyKp6LSrc
— San Mateo County S.O (@SMCSheriff) January 3, 2023
“This afternoon, deputies responded to a solo vehicle over the side of Highway 1 south of the Tom Lantos tunnel,” the caption read.
“Two adults suffered non-life threatening injuries and two children were unharmed. Tremendous collaborative efforts.”
Firefighters were able to rappel down the cliff and rescue the two children, a four-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy. A helicopter crew was used in order to rescue Patel and his wife.
Brian Pottenger, the Battalion Chief for Coastside Fire Protection District released a video to Twitter giving greater detail about the crash and the rescue effort.
This morning, a vehicle with 2 adults and 2 minors went over cliff at Devil’s Slide in @sanmateoco. Witnesses saw the accident and called 911. The car plunged hundreds of feet down the cliff and landed on the beach. All four patients were successfully rescued. Watch the video! pic.twitter.com/HUM2SJ56Oy
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) January 3, 2023
“The damage to the vehicle would indicate it hit and then flipped several times, it landed mostly on its wheels.
“When we arrived on scene we knew we had one vehicle over the side, we could see the vehicle.
“We immediately went and put a plan in place to lower rescuers down to the vehicle to get eyes and assess what we had.
“As we were doing that, we were able to notice movement in the front seat through the windshield with binoculars, so we knew that we had at least one person that was alive.”
Speaking about the overall experience he closed by saying: “We were actually very shocked when we found survivable victims in the vehicle.”
Newsweek has contacted the The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
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