Indian-origin doctor who drove family off cliff in US barred from practising medicine

Dharmesh A Patel, a radiologist, was charged with three counts of murder in January for intentionally driving a Tesla off a cliff with his wife and two children inside.

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A motion by the Medical Board of California to bar Patel from practising medicine — especially if he were released on bail, was approved on Monday by San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Rachel Holt at a hearing, The Mercury News reported earlier this week.

The regulators termed the move necessary while arguing in court filings this week, as Patel represented “an alarming danger to the public” in light of an “impairment of cognitive abilities needed to safely practice medicine,” the newspaper reported.

“Public protection, therefore, requires that Defendant be prohibited from practising medicine throughout the pendency” of his criminal case, the medical board’s motion said.

Regulators also cited comments made by Patel’s wife after her rescue. She told an emergency worker that Patel “did it on purpose,” adding later that “he drove off,” the report said. 

“He’s depressed,” said Patel’s wife, according to court documents. “He’s a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off,” she said.

Patel, a resident of Pasadena, California, remains in prison without bail in the San Mateo County jail since his arrest.

Investigators suspect Patel drove his family off a cliff near Devil’s Slide along Highway 1, sending the car plunging 250 feet onto a rocky beach.

He pleaded not guilty, claiming the family’s Tesla had been experiencing tyre issues and told investigators that he stopped three times at gas stations that day while driving to the Devil’s Slide area to put air in his left-rear tyre.

Patel’s leg and foot were injured in the crash, while his wife suffered more severe injuries. Their 4-year-old child escaped with only bruises, but their 7-year-old child was more seriously injured. Both children were released from the hospital within a month of the crash.

A preliminary hearing set for this week was delayed while attorneys continue to review evidence in the case, the report said.

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