Man accused of driving family off California cliff granted mental health diversion program, district attorney says

Taylor Romine and Mallika Kallingal, CNN

(CNN) — A California man accused of deliberately driving himself, his woman and 2 children disconnected a cliff connected a coastal road successful January 2023 was granted a intelligence wellness diversion, meaning nan criminal proceedings is now suspended, nan San Mateo County District Attorney’s agency said successful a news merchandise Thursday.

Judge Susan Jakubowski said she granted nan defense’s petition for intelligence wellness diversion aft reviewing nan grounds and concluding Dharmesh Patel’s due test was awesome depressive disorder.

Patel, 42, was charged pinch 3 counts of attempted execution past twelvemonth aft prosecutors said he intentionally steered his Tesla disconnected a information of nan Pacific Coast Highway called Devil’s Slide, sending himself, his woman and their 2 children, ages 7 and 4 astatine nan time, plunging astir 250 feet to a rocky formation below. Patel pleaded not blameworthy to nan charges.

All 4 family members survived nan crash. Patel’s woman was hospitalized for “major injuries” and nan couple’s 7-year-old kid was besides injured, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said astatine nan time. They person since recovered.

Now, astatine nan proposal of nan defense doctors, Patel will beryllium held successful region jailhouse for a mates weeks arsenic a “bridging period,” according to nan release. Patel will stay successful custody until his adjacent proceeding connected July 1 for “further proceedings connected nan court’s order.”

Once he is released, Patel will beryllium required to enactment astatine his parents’ location successful San Mateo County arsenic portion of nan diversion, and will only beryllium allowed to time off nan residence to be tribunal aliases curen sessions, according to nan release.

He will beryllium required to deterioration a GPS monitor, return to tribunal erstwhile a week for advancement reports, trial doubly a week to show medicine compliance, must abstain from intoxicant and narcotics and cannot person weapons, nan merchandise said. He is besides not allowed to thrust and has to surrender his driver’s licence and passport to nan court.

CNN has reached retired to Patel’s lawyer for comment.