A California man is facing multiple charges after police accused him of intentionally driving his Tesla off a cliff while his wife and two children were in the car.
Police arrested Pasadena resident Dharmesh Patel, 41, on child abuse and attempted murder charges on Tuesday, saying that he crashed his Tesla intentionally.
The car dropped about 300 feet down to a rocky beach area known as the Devil’s Slide. California Highway Patrol Spokesperson, Mark Andrews, said that all four family members survived the crash. They were hospitalized after sustaining serious injuries.
The car reportedly included a 10-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy.
The family of four had been traveling between Montara and Pacifica on Monday morning when the Tesla veered off the road and plunged. As it went down, the car slammed into rock and flipped a few times before landing straight up on its tires very close to the water.
The Highway Patrol was called to the scene at around 10:50 am on Monday. A dramatic rescue operation followed as soon as officers and emergency responders arrived.
First responders found all occupants conscious, and the two children were still in their car seats which had not sustained any damages. However, the four were trapped in the smashed sedan.
The two children were carried up in baskets using ropes. Their parents were later rescued.
Investigators spoke to witnesses and gathered evidence throughout the night, and based on the evidence they collected, they determined that the crash was an intentional act.
According to the Highway Patrol, Patel will be sent to the San Mateo County jail as soon as he is released from the hospital.
Crashes at the Devil’s Slide usually prove fatal, and the spokesperson for the Highway Patrol called the survival of the occupants an “absolute miracle.”
