In a heartfelt plea to the court, Neha Patel, the wife of a California-based radiologist accused of attempting to murder their family by driving off a cliff, urged the judge not to incarcerate her husband.
Dharmesh Patel, 43, from Pasadena, Los Angeles, faces charges after prosecutors alleged he deliberately drove his Tesla off a 300-ft cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway near San Francisco on January 2, 2023.
The harrowing incident left the couple and their daughter with severe injuries, while their son miraculously escaped unharmed, prompting a dramatic helicopter rescue operation.
Despite the grave charges, Patel has entered a plea of not guilty, with his attorneys petitioning the San Mateo County Superior Court for his admission into a two-year mental health treatment program. Completion of the program would result in the dismissal of all charges against him.
In her first public statement since the crash during a court video call on May 2, Neha Patel, 42, disclosed her husband’s struggle with a psychotic episode preceding the tragedy, asserting his condition is treatable.
Expressing her yearning for family reunification, Neha emphasized her reluctance to see Dharmesh face prosecution. “We’re not a family without him,” she emotionally declared to the judge, highlighting the anguish of witnessing her children’s suffering.
Having endured severe injuries herself, Neha’s poignant testimony painted a picture of the profound impact of the incident on their family.
Dharmesh Patel, who has remained in custody since the accident, visibly reacted with emotion in the courtroom as his wife detailed their children’s distress.
However, San Mateo County prosecutors have opposed the plea, setting the stage for closing arguments scheduled for May 10.
