Dharmesh Patel, a radiologist, drove his automobile carrying his spouse and two youngsters aged 7 and 4 off a cliff

An Indian-American physician who drove his Tesla off a cliff within the US along with his spouse and two youngsters inside – in an alleged try and homicide them – is not going to be serving any jail time for now and can obtain psychological well being remedy.

Dharmesh Patel, a radiologist in California, drove his automobile, along with his spouse Neha and two youngsters, 7 and 4, off a cliff final yr after a psychotic breakdown, psychologists advised the court docket. Mr Patel believed his youngsters have been vulnerable to being intercourse trafficked, which led him to crash the automobile, they stated.

After driving off the cliff, the Tesla fell over 250 toes. Nonetheless, the household miraculously survived the crash and was rescued from the mangled automobile. Neha Patel admitted that he drove the automobile off the cliff deliberately however testified later that she didn’t need her husband prosecuted.

Based on medical doctors, Mr Patel was affected by schizoaffective dysfunction and a significant depressive dysfunction. “He had been listening to footsteps and thought he was being adopted within the weeks earlier than the crash. It was paranoid and type of delusional considering that he acted on on the time to guard his household from a worse destiny,” a psychologist advised the court docket, including that “He was involved that his youngsters have been vulnerable to being kidnapped, probably for sexual molestation.”

On Thursday, a US court docket determined that Mr Patel was eligible for a ‘psychological well being diversion’, that enables an accused with psychological sickness who has dedicated a criminal offense to get psychological well being remedy as a substitute of serving time. The legislation states that such a provision can solely be thought-about if the sickness performed an enormous position within the crime.

Superior Courtroom Choose Susan M. Jakubowski deemed Mr Patel eligible for this system primarily based on the medical doctors’ prognosis and ordered his launch to his mother and father in California. He will likely be monitored with GPS and has to report back to the court docket as soon as per week. He’s additionally not allowed to journey outdoors his nation and should give up his driving license and passport.

The case will likely be heard subsequent on July 1.