Los Angeles: An Indian-origin radiologist who drove a Tesla car off a cliff in the US along with his wife and children was reportedly suffering from major depressive disorder and experiencing a mental breakdown at the time of the incident, according to media reports. Were staying.
Dharmesh Patel, of Pasadena, California, was charged with three counts of attempted murder last January after he drove the family's Tesla off a cliff at Devil's Slide on Highway 1 near Half Moon Bay, according to prosecutors.
Patel, his wife, Neha, and their children – a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy at the time – miraculously survived.
Patel, 43, was having hallucinations, hearing footsteps and believing her children had been sex trafficked, two doctors testified during a hearing Wednesday in Redwood City.
Wednesday's hearing was a response to Patel's earlier request for a change in mental health status in his case, the New York Post newspaper reported.If a judge grants the doctors' request, Patel will be placed on a two-year treatment plan instead of a prison sentence.
If Patel commits no crimes during the proposed treatment plan, the charges against him will be dropped.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper quoted District Attorney Steph Wagstaffe as saying that at the time of the crash, doctors testified, Patel was experiencing a mental disorder in which she believed her children might be trafficked.
The doctors – Mark Patterson and James Armontrout – testified for the defense.
If Patel is placed in a mental diversion program, Stanford psychiatrist, James Armontrout, will oversee treatment.Psychologist Mark Patterson testified at the hearing, "I view him as someone who is very motivated and amenable to treatment."
Patterson learned Patel's diagnosis after a series of 18 tests and talked to the doctor and his siblings.
Prosecutors opposed turning over the case, arguing that the prosecuting doctor found that Patel did not suffer from a major depressive disorder with psychosis, but from a separate disorder, known as schizoaffective, and The defense's proposed treatment plan would not be effective.
Prosecutors believe the case should remain in court.
Wagstaffe was concerned that if Patel was released he would not be monitored except for his meetings with doctors.“If he stops taking his medicine, how will you know? It's not the same as going on probation or parole. It's a full-on meeting with a psychiatrist,” he said.
Patel's attorney Joshua Bentley did not respond to a request for comment, the report said.
Dharmesh Patel, of Pasadena, California, was charged with three counts of attempted murder last January after he drove the family's Tesla off a cliff at Devil's Slide on Highway 1 near Half Moon Bay, according to prosecutors.
Patel, his wife, Neha, and their children – a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy at the time – miraculously survived.
Patel, 43, was having hallucinations, hearing footsteps and believing her children had been sex trafficked, two doctors testified during a hearing Wednesday in Redwood City.
Wednesday's hearing was a response to Patel's earlier request for a change in mental health status in his case, the New York Post newspaper reported.If a judge grants the doctors' request, Patel will be placed on a two-year treatment plan instead of a prison sentence.
If Patel commits no crimes during the proposed treatment plan, the charges against him will be dropped.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper quoted District Attorney Steph Wagstaffe as saying that at the time of the crash, doctors testified, Patel was experiencing a mental disorder in which she believed her children might be trafficked.
The doctors – Mark Patterson and James Armontrout – testified for the defense.
If Patel is placed in a mental diversion program, Stanford psychiatrist, James Armontrout, will oversee treatment.Psychologist Mark Patterson testified at the hearing, "I view him as someone who is very motivated and amenable to treatment."
Patterson learned Patel's diagnosis after a series of 18 tests and talked to the doctor and his siblings.
Prosecutors opposed turning over the case, arguing that the prosecuting doctor found that Patel did not suffer from a major depressive disorder with psychosis, but from a separate disorder, known as schizoaffective, and The defense's proposed treatment plan would not be effective.
Prosecutors believe the case should remain in court.
Wagstaffe was concerned that if Patel was released he would not be monitored except for his meetings with doctors.“If he stops taking his medicine, how will you know? It's not the same as going on probation or parole. It's a full-on meeting with a psychiatrist,” he said.
Patel's attorney Joshua Bentley did not respond to a request for comment, the report said.
