Tesla-crashing radiologist probably headed for therapy rather than incarceration
The radiologist accused of deliberately driving himself and his family over a rocky California cliff in a Tesla won’t be going to trial. Instead, Dharmesh Patel, MD, is headed for a mental health “diversion” program.
A judge at San Mateo County Superior Court made the decision upon finding Patel “eligible and suitable” for the program, which California instituted in 2018.
The program is set up to deal with mentally ill individuals who face felony charges and may be incompetent to stand trial.
If Patel completes a two-year treatment regimen, prosecutors will have to drop all charges against him. The most serious of these is attempted murder, three counts, for his wife and two children, all of whom somehow escaped serious injury in the 250-foot plummet.
As reported in Pasadena Now, the diversion program will be overseen by forensic psychiatry specialists at Stanford University.
The offending incident occurred in January of 2023. Patel, then a radiologist with Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, Calif., recovered in the hospital before being booked into San Mateo County Jail.
Along with attempted murder, he was charged with reckless child endangerment.
Pasadena Now reported June 21 that, in pretrial hearings, prosecutors strongly objected to the diversion from corrective justice into mental healthcare, arguing Patel posed a danger to the public.
Patel’s lawyer made the more convincing argument in the judge’s estimation, contending that Patel suffers from a major depressive disorder and will be better rehabilitated by therapy than jail time.
The news outlet says Patel will undergo a “bridging period” of two to three weeks before transitioning from detention to treatment. He is to live with his parents and wear a GPS tracker during the two-year treatment period.
Although Patel will be barred by a protective order from contacting his wife and children during the therapy period, his wife, Neha Patel, testified in support of his release, according to Pasadena Now.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.