Indian-origin doctor plunges car with family off US cliff
PTC News Desk: During a recent court hearing in California, two psychologists testified that Dr. Dharmesh Patel, an Indian-origin radiologist from Pasadena, who allegedly drove his Tesla off a cliff with his family aboard, was experiencing a psychotic break at the time of the incident.
The tragic event occurred in January 2023 along the Pacific Coast Highway, where Patel’s 2021 Tesla Model careened off a 250-foot cliff near Devil’s Slide.
The psychologists, Mark Patterson and James Armontrout, provided insights into Patel’s mental state during the proceedings. Patterson, called as an expert witness by Patel’s defense team, described Patel as paranoid and suffering from delusional thoughts. Patel, aged 42 at the time of the incident, believed he was protecting his family from a perceived threat of sex trafficking. Specifically, he feared that his two children, aged four and seven, were at risk. Patterson highlighted Patel’s concerns about societal issues such as the prevalence of fentanyl and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which contributed to his delusional beliefs.
Patel’s wife, Neha Patel, who survived the crash along with their children, contradicted his initial claim that the car had experienced tire issues. Instead, she asserted that her husband had expressed suicidal ideation and indicated his intention to drive the car off the cliff due to depression.
Currently, Patel faces three counts of attempted murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty. He is seeking a mental health diversion, a legal avenue that could lead to his release from jail under a treatment plan for two years. This diversion would require him to adhere to specific conditions, and if successfully completed, the charges against him would be dropped. However, prosecutors contest the mental health diversion, arguing that Patel’s condition, diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder by their expert, does not qualify him for such relief.
The court proceedings underscore California’s efforts to address the intersection of mental illness and criminal justice. Under state law, defendants must demonstrate that their mental disorder significantly influenced their criminal actions to be eligible for diversion programs aimed at preventing incarceration of individuals with mental health conditions.
The case is scheduled to reconvene on May 2, with San Mateo County prosecutors expected to present their witnesses. Ultimately, Judge Susan Jakubowski will assess whether Patel’s mental illness played a pivotal role in the alleged offenses and whether he poses a threat to public safety. The outcome of this hearing will determine the course of Patel’s legal proceedings and his future.