A Pasadena man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse after authorities say he intentionally drove a Tesla off a cliff when two children and another adult were still in the vehicle.
The Tesla fell more than 250 feet off a northern California cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway near an area called Devil’s Slide, known for fatal crashes.
Dharmesh A. Patel, of Pasadena, will be booked into the San Mateo County Jail after he is released from the hospital, the highway patrol said in a statement carried by multiple outlets and agencies.
“CHP investigators worked through 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 that this incident was an intentional act.”
Authorities say they were unable to determine the Tesla’s driving mode during the accident, however they say it does not appear to be a contributing factor in this incident.
Patel, another adult, a 4-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy survived after their car went over the cliff.
Patel is listed as a physician at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills and on Tuesday, the medical center released the following 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 that there were no serious injuries. We will not respond further as this incident is under investigation.”
The car flipped a couple of times before landing on its wheels, wedged against the cliff just steps from the ocean.
There was no guardrail where the sedan went off the cliff, authorities said.
Crews pulled the children out the rear window and hauled them up the cliff by hand in a rescue basket using the rope system. They were rushed to hospital by ambulance with musculoskeletal injuries.
However, the adults suffered traumatic injuries and had to be lifted by helicopter off the cliff. Both were then taken to the hospital, the battalion chief said.
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Tesla vehicle plunges 250 feet off a California cliff, leaving four people in critical condition
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