A California radiologist accused of driving his wife and two children off a cliff in 2023 had his criminal case dismissed Monday after completing a two-year mental health diversion program, prosecutors said.
Dharmesh Patel, 45, of Pasadena, had three charges of attempted murder dropped, The Mercury News reported. In her ruling, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Sharon K. Cho referenced reports by Patel’s clinicians suggesting that he was “doing very well” in his diversion program, according to the newspaper.
The dismissal followed an earlier ruling that Patel, of Pasadena, was eligible for diversion. Completion would allow Patel to avoid jail time, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Patel will also have his passport returned to him and his arrest record sealed, according to court records. A protective order was lifted, according to the newspaper.
Authorities said Patel drove his Tesla — with his wife Neha, their 4-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son inside -- off a cliff-top road in San Mateo County known as the Devil’s Slide on Jan. 2, 2023, The New York Times reported.
A judge granted the dismissal, after Dharmesh Patel completed two years of mental health diversion stemming from the 2023 crash. https://t.co/ugmoEMZ8fZ
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) July 7, 2026
All four survived the 250-foot drop from the Pacific Coast Highway in a rescue that officials called “almost miraculous,” according to the newspaper.
Patel initially pleaded not guilty, claiming the family’s Tesla was having tire issues, the Mercury News reported. However, Patel’s wife had told first responders that her husband was “depressed” and had intentionally driven off the cliff, prosecutors said.
[ Man accused of intentionally driving car off California cliff with another adult, 2 children inside ]
Multiple psychologists diagnosed Patel with major depressive disorder, the Mercury News reported. One clinician based his diagnosis on 18 tests given to Patel, as well as multiple discussions with the defendant, his brother and his sister, according to the newspaper.
The lone psychologist called by prosecutors during a 2024 hearing disagreed with that diagnosis, suggesting that Patel suffered from schizoaffective disorder and was not ready to be released, the Mercury News reported.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, who opposed Patel’s admission to the program, said the defendant “got the break of a lifetime,” KGO reported.
“He can drive home tonight,” Wagstaffe told reporters after the ruling. “It’s like the case never happened.
“He’s not going to be responsible for his conduct the way he would be if he was not a radiologist. The law was followed. But I feel the law did not provide justice in this case.”
Patel’s attorney, Joshua Bentley, who said during the hearing that the radiologist was “a decent human being, with zero criminal history,” declined comment on Monday, the Mercury News reported. Patel also declined to speak with reporters as he left the courthouse, according to the newspaper.
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