The driver of a car that fell 250 feet from a dangerous cliff in Northern California, injuring his two young children and his wife, has been released from the hospital and jailed on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse, authorities said. on Friday.
Dharmesh A. Patel, 41, was booked into the jail where he is being held without bail and could face arraignment Monday afternoon if the San Mateo District Attorney's Office decides to file criminal charges, authorities said.
Emergency personnel at the crash site in San Mateo County, Calif., on Jan. 1, 2023.Sgt.
Brian Moore/San Mateo County Sheriff's Office via AP
The office did not indicate when he was released from the hospital and it is not yet known if Patel has an attorney who can testify in the case.
The Pasadena man was seriously injured when his Tesla sedan plunged off a cliff on Devil's Slide, along PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) on January 2.
At first, rescuers hailed the family's survival as a miracle after the sedan plummeted in an area about 15 miles south of San Francisco that is known for fatal crashes.
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The rescue involved firefighters rappelling down the cliff to rescue the two children, ages 4 and 7, and a helicopter team that rescued the two adults from the vehicle, authorities said.
"Very Very Weird"
Brian Pottenger, incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said witnesses called 911 after the crash around 10:50 a.m.
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He said it was "very, very rare" for people to survive such a steep fall and that child safety seats probably could have saved children's lives.
"We were actually quite surprised when we found surviving victims in the vehicle. It was a moment of hope for us," Pottenger said.
Patel was arrested after California Highway Patrol investigators "determined that there are grounds to believe that this accident was an intentional act," authorities said.
The driver of the Tesla that fell off a cliff is arrested.
Police believe he intentionally swerved the car.
Jan 4, 202300:27
However, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said this week that investigators are also reviewing the Tesla to rule out the possibility of a mechanical problem.
"Did the brakes fail? Did the brakes work? Was there a mechanical problem that prevented you from stopping the vehicle?" Wagstaffe said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
"We are checking the car from top to bottom."
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In 2018, in Mendocino County, which is located on the California coast, two women and their six adopted children were killed in a cliff-walking accident that authorities determined was intentional.
A special coroner's jury later concluded that the women planned the accident to kill themselves and their children.
With information from
The Associated Press
,
Los Angeles Times
and
NBC News
