Dharmesh Patel, a 45-year-old California radiologist, drove his Tesla off a cliff known as Devil's Slide in San Mateo County on January 2, 2023, with his wife and two young children inside, surviving a fall of about 250-300 feet [1, 2, 3]. The children were aged 7 and 4 years old. Despite severe vehicle damage, all family members survived the crash [1, 2, 3].
Patel was initially charged with three counts of attempted murder, accused of intentionally driving off the cliff with his family inside [1, 2, 3]. Patel's wife said after the crash, "He said he was going to drive off the cliff," and called for a psychological evaluation. She later supported treatment based on his mental health condition [2, 3].
Medical evaluations found Patel suffered from severe episodic major depression with hallucinations and delusions, including fears tied to the war in Ukraine, the fentanyl crisis, child abduction, and Jeffrey Epstein [1, 2, 3].
In July 2024, a judge ordered Patel to complete a two-year mental health diversion program instead of facing trial, placing Patel under GPS monitoring and requiring regular psychiatric treatment while he lived with his parents in Belmont [1, 2, 3].
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe opposed the use of mental health diversion for charges as serious as attempted murder. He said, "The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges," referring to California's diversion law effective in 2023. He added Patel "got the break of a lifetime" by avoiding trial [1, 3].
After Patel successfully completed the program in August 2026, the court dismissed all three charges and cleared his criminal record. The no-contact order against Patel's family was canceled and his passport returned [2, 3].
The California mental health diversion law allows charges to be dismissed after successful treatment, even for serious crimes, a point criticized by the district attorney [1, 2]. The cliff drop height is reported as about 250 feet by some sources and near 300 feet by others [2, 3].
