NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
San Francisco, CA, July 8, 2026 — A California judge has dismissed all attempted murder charges against Indian-origin radiologist Dr. Dharmesh Patel after he successfully completed a two-year court-ordered mental health diversion program, bringing an end to one of the state’s most closely watched criminal cases.
Patel, 45, had been accused of intentionally driving his Tesla Model Y off the 250-foot Devil’s Slide cliff along California’s Highway 1 on January 2, 2023, with his wife and two young children inside. All four survived the plunge, which rescuers at the time described as “an absolute miracle.”
The San Mateo County Superior Court dismissed the three attempted murder charges on July 6 after Patel completed two years of outpatient psychiatric treatment supervised by a Stanford University psychiatrist and a family therapist. Under California’s mental health diversion law, judges are required to dismiss criminal charges if a defendant successfully completes the court-approved treatment program.
“The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. “If the person who’s given mental health diversion follows the treatment plan, there’s nothing that can be done and at the end of the two years he gets it wiped out of his record.”
Prosecutors had strongly opposed Patel’s eligibility for mental health diversion, arguing that defendants charged with attempted murder should not qualify for the program. Wagstaffe said his office will continue pushing for changes to California law to exclude violent crimes such as attempted murder from diversion eligibility.
Patel’s attorneys argued that he was suffering from episodic major depression with hallucinations when the crash occurred, making him eligible for diversion under a California law that took effect in 2023. After spending more than a year in jail without bail, Patel was released in 2024 to undergo outpatient treatment while living with his parents under strict court supervision, including GPS monitoring and the surrender of his passport and driver’s license.
According to prosecutors, Patel later told a psychiatrist he believed his children would be kidnapped and trafficked, delusions that were linked to his deteriorating mental state. During the diversion program, the court gradually allowed him to reunite with his wife and children, who had relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. Patel’s wife testified that she had forgiven him and wanted the family to be reunited.
Following the dismissal, Patel left the courthouse with his wife. Judge Sharon Cho also ordered the case sealed and returned Patel’s passport.
The dismissal resolves the criminal case but does not restore Patel’s medical career. The Medical Board of California confirmed that he surrendered his medical license in December 2025 after previously being barred from practicing medicine while the criminal charges were pending.
