LOS ANGELES — The man who drove his Tesla off a cliff in Northern California with his family inside was charged with three counts of attempted murder Monday after an investigation by the San Mateo County district attorney, according to court records.
Dharmesh Patel, 41, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of attempted murder and child endangerment after the Jan. 2 crash, but prosecutors waited until after he was transferred out of the hospital last week to charge him. His wife and two children have also since been released from the hospital.
Patel drove his wife, Neha, and their 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son off the cliff at Devil's Slide, a notoriously dangerous portion of Highway 1 about 15 miles south of San Francisco. The car tumbled 250 to 300 feet, with authorities describing the family's rescue as an "absolute miracle."
