Police said a doctor drove his Tesla off a cliff with his wife and family inside. Here's what we know.

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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A man accused of intentionally driving his Tesla off a California cliff with his family inside remained hospitalized Thursday, according to new details emerging in the near-fatal crash.

Dharmesh A. Patel, 41, faces charges including attempted murder and child abuse after the California Highway Patrol reported he purposely drove the sedan off the Pacific Highway Coast with his 4-year-old son, 7-year-old daughter, and 41-year-old wife inside.

The family, who remain hospitalized Thursday, troopers told USA TODAY, miraculously lived after the sedan spun through the air before plummeting some 250 feet below just feet from the surf on Monday. They were saved during a dramatic, multi-agency rescue.

Later that same day, CHP troopers arrested Patel at Stanford Hospital, his one-page arrest report shows.

Here's what we know about the case so far:

The crash

Troopers were dispatched late Monday morning to a call of a vehicle that had gone over a cliff on Highway 1, about 15-20 miles south of San Francisco.

At the scene, Coastside Fire Protection District/Cal Fire battalion Chief Brian Pottenger said the car flipped before landing on its wheels, wedged against the cliff near the surf.

Responding crews rappelled down to the car, pulled the children out of the Tesla's back window and brought them up the cliff in a basket using a rope. They also rescued their parents and the family was rushed to a hospital to be treated for their injuries.

The area is known as Devil’s Slide, a steep, rocky and winding coastal area between Pacifica and Montara.

“We go there all the time for cars over the cliff and they never live. This was an absolute miracle," Pottenger said

In what Northern California first responders are calling a miracle, four people are in critical condition after a Tesla dove over a cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway Monday. Rescue crews were able to pull the victims from the sedan using a rope and basket.
In what Northern California first responders are calling a miracle, four people are in critical condition after a Tesla dove over a cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway Monday. Rescue crews were able to pull the victims from the sedan using a rope and basket.

The latest:

After looking through evidence of the crash, investigators “developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act,” according to a news release.

On Thursday afternoon, CHP spokesman Mark Andrews told USA TODAY all four family members remained hospitalized at Stanford.

The family members are expected to survive, Andrews said, but investigators are not releasing details about the extent of their injuries.

Patel is expected to remain hospitalized for at least a few more days, Andrews said, and will be booked into San Mateo County Jail after he’s released from the hospital.

CHP Marin Area Office Public Information Officer Andrew Barclay told USA TODAY investigators had not yet announced a motive in the case, or disclosed what evidence led them to charge Patel. Officials have not released the names of Patel's wife and children.

Who is Dr. Dharmesh Patel:

Patel is a doctor in radiology at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles, and a statement released by the hospital Tuesday confirmed his family was in the car.

The medical center would not confirm to USA TODAY Thursday whether Patel had been placed on leave.

Prior to troopers reporting the crash was intentional, the hospital provided this statement, “Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is deeply saddened to learn of a traffic incident involving one of our physicians and his family. "We are extremely grateful there were no serious injuries. We will not respond further, as this incident is under investigation.”

What we know about Patel's family:

The LA Times reported the Patel family lived on a quiet residential block of single-family homes on Lomay Place. Patel would pass out cookies to neighbors. His wife started a mass text thread for neighbors to stay in contact.

Patel's wife posted photos of her husband and the children on social media - the most recent posted on showing what appears to be her daughter kissing her younger brother on the cheek.

Another photo shows their son’s first birthday “fiesta.” In another post, his wife joked about her husband’s reaction to a proposal on the reality TV show “The Bachelorette.”

“So Dharmy,” someone responded, using a nickname for Patel.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dharmesh Patel arrested after driving family off California cliff