Tesla driver who ‘intentionally drove himself, wife and children off a cliff’ pleads not guilty

The California doctor accused of intentionally throwing his wife and children off a 250-foot cliff has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Dharmesh Patel, 42, has denied charges that he tried to kill his wife and two young children when he drove his Tesla off California’s Devil’s Slide cliff on January 2. Miraculously, all four survived the devastating accident.

Patel has been charged with three counts of attempted murder, with increases in the use of great bodily harm and domestic violence. If he is found guilty, he could face life in prison.

But on Thursday in court, his attorney said a “witness” in the case did not want to be prosecuted for his alleged actions, an NBC Bay Area reporter tweeted from the scene.

Still, a San Mateo court judge ruled that Patel can only have limited contact with his family, especially his wife, as he remains in custody without bail.

Prosecutors are expected to use Lantos Tunnel traffic camera video as evidence that Patel, who works as a radiologist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Pasadena, intentionally drove his Tesla Model Y off a cliff.

“There are cameras,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. “So we have a video showing the movement of the car.”

That video, he said, “clearly shows his car exiting the tunnel, going up the hill, turning right off the road into an area of ​​dirt at the top.” And then a sharp right turn down and over the edge and off the cliff.

State prosecutors are also likely to cite witness statements, as two people who were allegedly driving behind Patel on Jan. 2 “observed what occurred and were able to provide information about the lack of brake lights,” Wagstaffe said. People.

Additionally, Patel’s wife, Neha, allegedly told paramedics that he “intentionally tried to kill us” after they rappelled down the cliff to rescue the family.

She said very simply that this was not an accident. We believe the evidence establishes the necessary intent to kill,” Wagstaffe previously told the San Francisco Chronicle.

But Neha has not spoken to investigators since that initial interview.

Patel was arrested after California Highway Patrol investigators “developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act,” the agency said.

He was then booked into the San Mateo County Maguire Correctional Center in late January.

Patel’s Tesla is now being examined by the California Highway Patrol’s Major Accident Investigation Team to see if the brakes failed. Do we have punctures? Whatever they could determine from the vehicle,” Wagstaffe said.

“But there was nothing immediately to indicate any kind of impairment or problem with the vehicle,” he added. “I am convinced that, based on the evidence we have at this time, it was an intentional act.

“Now, again, a number of things can happen, and this happens in criminal cases where the family comes forward and they give us a description of some things that light it up differently. Or the wife comes forward and says, “Let me tell you what happened and explain it.”

“Or the CHP MAIT team comes back and says, ‘Look, there was a mechanical difficulty with the vehicle,’ Wagstaffe continued. ‘So the facts, the whole story hasn’t been revealed yet.”

“It’s just the story we have at this point, it certainly appears that this was an intentional act on our part and that is why we are filing the charges.”

“But we will learn, hopefully find out more as time goes on.”

Police officers were dispatched around 10 a.m. on January 2 to report that a vehicle had veered off the cliff on Highway 1, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. The steep, rocky and winding coastal area is known as Devil’s Slide.

Fire chief Brian Pottenger told reporters: “We go there all the time so the cars go off the cliff and they never live.” This was an absolute miracle.

Initially, the car was said to have rolled over several times. However, experts have since raised doubts, arguing that the heavy batteries located in the floor of the Tesla would have prevented it from moving.

There was no guardrail where the sedan went off the cliff, authorities said.

Patel was seen speeding north on Highway 1 and is speculated to have made a sharp turn before reaching the Tom Lantos Tunnel, which is where the Tesla went off the road, first into an area of ​​dirt and then down the cliff

Robin Johnson, who called 911 after seeing the accident, recalled: ‘Wow, you’re driving extremely fast to take that exit. You’re not even supposed to go up that way.

“And I can see in my rearview mirror that this car just went over the edge and straight down.”

Around 30 to 50 rescuers arrived at the scene, where it was initially assumed that someone in the car must be dead.

A helicopter and stunt teams were required to rappel down the cliff to the car. It wasn’t until hours later that rescuers discovered the four conscious and alert family members in the car.

The children were first pulled out, through a rear window, and dragged off the cliff by hand in a rescue basket using a pulley.

The doctor and his wife suffered more serious injuries and had to be airlifted out and then taken directly to hospital.

Neighbors expressed shock after learning of the allegations against Patel, describing his family as ‘idyllic’.

Roger Newmark, who lives several houses down from the family on a tree-lined street in Pasadena, told CBS: “They are the sweetest couple and they have two great little kids.”

The hospital where Patel works as a radiologist also issued a statement after the accident.

“Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is deeply saddened to learn of a traffic incident involving one of our physicians and his family,” he said.

“We are very grateful that there were no serious injuries. We will not respond further as this incident is under investigation.”

According to an online profile, Patel graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan and has been practicing for more than a decade.