Daijiworld Media Network – California
California, Jul 8: A US court has dismissed all charges against Indian-origin radiologist Dharmesh Patel, who was accused of attempting to kill his family by driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff in California in 2023, after he successfully completed a two-year court-approved mental health treatment programme.
Patel, 45, had been charged with attempted murder following the January 2, 2023, crash along the Pacific Coast Highway in San Mateo County, which left his wife and two young children injured. All four survived the plunge, an outcome rescuers had described as "an absolute miracle".
According to reports, a San Mateo County judge on Monday dismissed the case after Patel completed a mental health diversion programme that included psychiatric treatment under a Stanford University specialist and family therapy.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said the court was legally required to dismiss the charges under California's mental health diversion law once Patel successfully fulfilled the treatment requirements.
"The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges. 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," Wagstaffe said.
Prosecutors had opposed Patel's inclusion in the diversion programme, arguing that attempted murder charges should not qualify under the law, and said they would continue seeking legislative changes.
Patel's defence maintained that he was suffering from episodic major depression accompanied by hallucinations at the time of the incident, making him eligible for diversion under a California law introduced in 2023.
According to prosecutors, Patel had told a psychiatrist after his arrest that he feared his children would be kidnapped and trafficked.
After spending more than a year in custody without bail, Patel was released in 2024 to undergo outpatient treatment while living with his parents under strict court-imposed conditions, including GPS monitoring and the surrender of his passport and driver's licence.
The court later permitted him to reunite with his wife and children, who had relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. During the proceedings, Patel's wife told the court she had forgiven him and wanted him to return home.
Following the dismissal of the charges, Patel was reunited with his wife outside the courtroom.
Separately, the Medical Board of California confirmed that Patel surrendered his medical licence in December 2025 after previously being prohibited from practising medicine while the criminal case was pending.