More than a month after allegedly driving his family over a cliff intentionally, Dharmesh Patel, 41, has pleaded not guilty to charges filed against him. Patel, a radiologist from California, was involved in a single-car crash on January 2 in his family's Tesla. He and his wife, Neha Patel, 41, and the couple's children, a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, all survived the accident, which authorities say was a miracle.
Patel is accused of driving the family over a cliff on Devil's Slide off the Pacific Coast Highway in an attempted murder-suicide. The stretch of road is notorious for accidents, but witnesses and experts said this was not an accident. Patel was initially charged with three counts of attempted murder.
People reported that additional charges have been filed, including two counts of domestic violence, great bodily injury, serious felony, and prior felony, according to San Mateo County Superior Court records. Neha Patel reportedly does not want her husband charged, despite her statement that the crash was intentional.
There is staggering evidence against Dharmesh Patel.
According to witnesses, the brake lights were not illuminated when Dharmesh Patel's car fell over the cliff. Additionally, surveillance footage from a nearby tunnel supports these claims.
"We believe the evidence will show him intentionally driving his family off a cliff with the intent to kill them," San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher said in a news briefing, according to ABC 7. His wife, Neha Patel, allegedly told emergency personnel that the crash was not an accident.
Neha Patel reportedly does not want her husband charged.
Even though at the scene she stated the crash was intentional, Neha Patel reportedly told a defense attorney she does not want Dharmesh Patel charged, according to KRON 4. Prosecutors, however, intend to proceed with charges, despite those wishes.
"Regardless of whether she is cooperative, we believe we have sufficient evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt," Gallagher said. He added that the case is a "very dynamic situation whenever you have this violence within a family setting." According to Gallagher, it is not uncommon for victims of domestic violence to be uncooperative.
The fact that anyone survived the crash is a miracle.
When the crash occurred, Brian Pottenger, a Coastside Fire Protection District/Cal Fire battalion chief, expected a recovery mission but instead found all four family members alive and conscious. The children were air-lifted to a nearby hospital for treatment; the boy reportedly sustained no injuries from the crash, but his sister's injuries were severe.
Both have been released from the hospital. Neha Patel had the worst injuries, but it is unknown at this time whether she has been released from the hospital. Dharmesh Patel was arrested while in the hospital and has since been booked in San Mateo Jail, held without bond.
Dharmesh Patel was employed as a physician in Los Angeles.
At the time of the crash, the father was reportedly employed as a radiologist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, KABC reported. He was quickly removed from the facility's website, and the medical center promptly issued a statement.
"Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is deeply saddened to learn of a traffic incident involving one of our physicians and his family," the statement read, according to KABC via WMBF. "We are extremely grateful there were no serious injuries. We will not respond further, as this incident is under investigation."
Dharmesh Patel cannot contact his family.
A judge ordered Dharmesh Patel to have no contact with his family, including his wife. Gallagher said this includes contact via a third party, ABC 7 reported. Due to the alleged intent in the crash, Gallagher insisted that domestic violence be included in the charges.
"We think it's prudent, both for the victims and for the integrity of the case, that there be no contact between them and the defendant," he said. If convicted, Dharmesh Patel faces life in prison.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women's shelter (domesticshelters.org).
