Tesla driver in California arrested, suspected of intentionally driving off cliff with woman, children in car
- Tesla plunged 75-metres down a cliff called Devil’s Slide in Northern California
- The driver was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse
The driver of a car that plunged off a cliff in Northern California, seriously wounding two children and a second adult after the 75-metre (250 feet) drop, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse, the California Highway Patrol said.
Dharmesh A. Patel of Pasadena will be booked into San Mateo County Jail after he’s released from a hospital, the highway patrol said in a statement on Tuesday. It wasn’t immediately known if Patel has a lawyer.
“CHP investigators worked throughout the night interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene,” the highway patrol statement said. “Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act.”
Patel, 42, was in the car with a 41-year-old woman, a 7-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old boy, according to court documents cited by CBS News. It was not immediately clear if they were all members of the same family.
However, Patel is a doctor in radiology at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles, and a statement released by the hospital on Tuesday indicated that members of his family were in the car.
“Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre is deeply saddened to learn of a traffic incident involving one of our physicians and his family,” said the statement, which was reported by KABC-TV. “We are extremely grateful there were no serious injuries. We will not respond further, as this incident is under investigation.”
