A man accused of trying to kill his family by driving off a cliff at Devils Slide was due to face a judge in San Mateo County court Thursday.
Dharmesh Patel was expected to enter a plea on charges he tried to kill his wife and two young children after investigators say he drove his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff along Highway 1 south of Pacifica on Jan. 2.
The Pasadena doctor, his wife and their 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son were seriously injured in the crash but survived.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe has charged Patel with three counts of attempted murder, with enhancements of causing great bodily harm, as well as domestic violence based on eyewitness accounts and possibly incriminating statements Patel’s wife made to paramedics.
Traffic video from the Lantos Tunnel at Devils Slide also is being used as evidence.
“There are cameras. So we have video showing the movement of the car,” Wagstaffe said. “After it left the tunnel … went up the hill … turned off the road … to go down the cliff.”
The judge issued a no-harassment order to limit Patel’s contact with his family, especially with his wife.
A legal analyst told NBC Bay Area attempted murder cases are always hard to prosecute, and in this situation, he believes the prosecution has only circumstantial evidence.
If convicted on the three attempted murder chargers, Patel could get life in prison.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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