The Pasadena doctor accused of attempting to murder his wife and two young kids by deliberately driving their Tesla off the side of a 250-foot cliff was photographed for the first time today.
Dharmesh A. Patel, 42, is a radiologist at Pasadena’s Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.
He is suspected of deliberately driving his white Tesla Model Y down the Devil’s Slide cliff in San Francisco on Monday on a journey north.
All four members of the family – Patel, his wife Neha, and their children aged four and seven – miraculously survived without significant injury.
First, it was unclear whether the car, which is famed for its self-driving capabilities, had gone rogue and accidentally drove the family off the road.
Some are now questioning if the car, which features airbags adjacent to the two front seats as well as in front of them, genuinely rescued them.
Police accused Patel with attempted homicide and child abuse on Tuesday, stating that the incident was a failed murder-suicide.
He has not yet been legally charged and is currently being treated at Stanford Hospital. It’s unknown if his wife and children are still being treated at the hospital or have been released. Neighbors said they were shocked to hear about Patel’s claims.
They’re the loveliest people and they have the best two small kids, said Roger Newmark, who lives few doors down from the family on a lush Pasadena street.
On Tuesday, the hospital where Patel works issued a statement.
They are profoundly saddened by the news about a traffic incident concerning one of their physicians and his family at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.
They are incredibly thankful that no catastrophic injuries occurred. They will not reply more because this issue is still being investigated.
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, was among many who commented on the case.
Musk responded to a tweet on the family’s survival by saying, ‘Good news.’
His supporters claim that the fact that they all survived demonstrates how safe Tesla automobiles are.
Police are still investigating the collision and have not confirmed why they believe the family survived.
They believe the truck was hit once, then flipped many times in the air before landing upright and on its wheels.
The damage to the car would indicate that it was hit and then flipped numerous times, said Brian Pottenger, battalion chief for Cal Fire’s Coastside Fire Protection District, after the incident.
