A Southern California radiologist accused of running his family off Pacific Coast Highway in a murder-suicide last year is eligible for a mental health diversion program, a San Mateo Superior Court judge ruled Thursday.
On January 2, 2023, Dharmesh A. Patel was driving his Tesla south on the highway with his wife and two children after a family vacation in the Bay Area when he ran off the road just outside the Tom Lantos Tunnel, causing the car to slide off a cliff and crash into the rocky shore and surf below.
All four occupants survived the crash, although the car fell 250 feet, and one child suffered minor injuries. According to court records, prosecutors argued the accident was deliberate and charged Patel with multiple offenses, including attempted murder and child abuse.
But Judge Susan Jakubowski concluded Thursday that Patel’s severe depression meets the requirements for mental health diversion, meaning he may avoid any prison time.
Patel, 43, has been incarcerated since the accident and, according to a proposal by defense doctors, will remain in county jail for a few weeks as a “bridge period” before being released.
The court ordered Patel to live with his parents in Belmont, be under GPS monitoring and be barred from leaving San Mateo County while he is undergoing treatment.
Patel is due to appear in court again on July 1.
