The Pasadena physician charged with the tried homicide of his spouse and their two younger kids by deliberately driving their Tesla off the slide of a 250ft cliff has been pictured right this moment for the primary time.
Dharmesh A. Patel, 42, works as a radiologist at Windfall Holy Cross Medical Heart in Pasadena. He’s {accused} of deliberately driving his white Tesla Mannequin Y off a cliff generally known as Satan’s Slide on Monday.
Miraculously, all 4 family members – Patel, his spouse Neha and their children aged 4 and 7 – survived with none critical accidents.
Dharmesh A. Patel works as a radiologist at Windfall Holy Cross Medical Heart in Pasadena. He’s charged with tried homicide and little one abuse for allegedly deliberately driving his spouse and their two children off the aspect of a Pasadena cliff of their Tesla
The household in some way miraculously survived a 250ft drop from the freeway down a cliff edge generally known as ‘Satan’s Aspect’
There isn’t any indication the automotive was in self-driving mode when it veered off the street. The automotive’s interiors remained largely intact regardless of the large drop
The massive drop from the freeway to the scene of the crash
Initially, there have been questions over whether or not the automotive – which is known for its self-driving know-how – had gone rogue and brought the household off the street by mistake.
Now, some are asking whether or not the car – which has airbags adjoining to the 2 entrance seats along with in entrance of them – really saved them.
On Tuesday, police charged Patel with tried murder and little one abuse, alleging that the incident was an tried murder-suicide gone unsuitable.
He stays within the San Mateo County Jail right this moment.
It is unclear whether or not his spouse and children are nonetheless receiving remedy within the hospital, or if they’ve been discharged.
Neighbors instructed CBS Information of their shock after studying the allegations in opposition to Patel.
Rescue groups needed to abseil down the aspect of the cliff whereas others used helicopters to attempt to attain the household
The scene of the rescue. California Freeway Patrolmen stated they have been surprised once they obtained nearer to the automotive and realizes its occupants have been nonetheless alive
Witnesses stated they noticed the car driving at excessive velocity alongside the freeway earlier than it veered off beam
The Tesla Mannequin Y – which is the car the household was in – has a number of airbags. There are entrance airbags, seat-mounted aspect airbags, and curtain airbags, all of which appeared to inflate. Police are but to substantiate whether or not this saved the household
Elon Musk responded to a fan account concerning the household surviving the crash by saying ‘Excellent news.’ The fan account stated the Tesla saved the Patel household, which is but to be confirmed
Roger Newmark, who lives a number of doorways down from the household on a leafy Pasadena avenue, stated: ‘They’re the sweetest couple and so they have the best two little children.’
The hospital the place Patel works launched a press release on Tuesday.
‘Windfall Holy Cross Medical Heart is deeply saddened to study of a site visitors incident involving one in every of our physicians and his household.
‘We’re extraordinarily grateful there have been no critical accidents. We is not going to reply additional, as this incident is underneath investigation.’
Amongst these to touch upon the case was Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Neighbors described the household as ‘candy’ and ‘nice’. They have been surprised to study of the costs in opposition to Patel
In response to a tweet about how the household survived, Musk stated: ‘Excellent news.’
His followers say the truth that all of them did survive is proof of simply how secure Tesla automobiles are.
Police are but to finish their investigation into the crash, and are but to substantiate why they suppose the household survived.
They suppose the car suffered one preliminary hit, then flipped a number of instances within the air earlier than touchdown upright, on its wheels.
‘The injury to the car would point out that it hit, after which flipped a number of instances,’ Brian Pottenger, battalion chief with Cal Fireplace’s Coastside Fireplace Safety District, stated afterwards.
The household’s residence in Pasadena the place neighbors described them as ‘candy’ and ‘nice’
