US doc accused of driving family off cliff asks for psychiatric help

July 10, 2023 17:00

Dharmesh Patel with his wife

A 41-year-old Indian-origin doctor in the US who faces sentencing for allegedly attempting to kill his wife and two minor children by "purposely" driving his Tesla car off the Pacific Coast Highway has asked for a mental health diversion instead of a prison term, a media report said.

Dharmesh Patel was charged in May with three counts of first-degree attempted murder after allegedly driving himself, his wife, and their two children -- the 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl -- off the Devil's Slide near California Highway 1 in his Tesla, KRON-TV reported on Saturday. They all survived the crash on January 3 this year.

Patel's wife maintains that her husband told his family he would drive off the cliff before the incident. The suspect claimed his Tesla Model Y was having tire issues when he drove off the 250-foot cliff in California.

"He drove off. He's depressed," Neha Patel said in an affidavit obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.

"He's a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off."

Patel pleaded not guilty and instead asked for a mental health diversion because of his major depressive disorder diagnosis, the report said. To be eligible for the programme, a suspect's mental disorder needs to be a "significant factor" in the criminal act, California law says.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Fritz says no stress for Sinner showdown in US Open final

'I'm not going into this thinking I'm the favourite because everything's totally different when you're playing a match like this.'

Massive oil, gas reserves found in Pak waters

A substantial deposit of petroleum and natural gas has been discovered in Pakistan's territorial waters, a cache so large its exploitation could change the country's destiny, according to a media report. A three-year survey was...

Why Afghans are confident ahead of NZ Test

Shah, the leading run-scorer for Afghanistan in Tests and ODIs, wanted to give the Kiwis, the inaugural WTC champions, a tough time.

Vinesh, Bajrang were Congress pawns: Brij Bhushan

'This was all conspired to gain a hold on the Wrestling Federation of India and to attack the BJP and its ideology...This team of Rahul, the Congress keeps doing these things.'

Hit by car, Delhi man dragged 10 metres before death; driver held

Lekhraj got stuck under the car's wheels but Dubey allegedly kept driving the vehicle, the officer said.