All charges against Dharmesh Patel, a radiologist accused of attempting to kill his family by driving their Tesla off a 276-metre (50ft) cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California, have been dismissed by a judge. The incident occurred on January 2, 2023, at a location known as "Devil's Slide," injuring Patel's wife and two young children. Remarkably, all four survived what one official described as an "absolute miracle."
Patel, 45, was charged with attempted murder following the crash. However, in 2024, a judge ruled that Patel would receive mental health treatment instead of standing trial after his defense argued he was experiencing episodic major depression with hallucinations at the time of the incident. This qualified him for a mental health diversion program under a California law enacted in 2023.
On July 7, 2026, a San Mateo County judge dismissed the charges after Patel completed the two-year mental health diversion program, which included treatment with a Stanford University psychiatrist and a family therapist. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe stated, "The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges." He added, "If the person who’s given mental health diversion follows the treatment plan, there’s nothing that can be done and at the end of the two years he gets it wiped out of his record."
San Mateo prosecutors had opposed the diversion program for Patel but were unsuccessful.
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