California medical regulators aren’t taking any chances on a Southern California radiologist accused of driving his Tesla sedan off a cliff near Pacifica in a desperate bid to kill his family.
The Medical Board of California moved this week to bar Dharmesh Patel from practicing medicine — especially if he were released on bail — while he faces numerous attempted murder charges related to the Jan. 2 crash. The move was necessary, regulators argued in court filings this week, because Patel represented “an alarming danger to the public” in light of an “impairment of cognitive abilities needed to safely practice medicine.”
“Public protection therefore requires that Defendant be prohibited from practicing medicine throughout the pendency” of his criminal case, the medical board’s motion said.
The request, which was made with the help of an attorney with the California Attorney General’s office, was approved by San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Rachel Holt at a hearing Monday.
Patel, 41, remains held without bail in the San Mateo County jail since his arrest.
Investigators suspect Patel drove his family off a cliff on Jan. 2 near Devil’s Slide along Highway 1, sending the car plunging 250 feet onto a rocky beach. Patel suffered injuries to his leg and foot, and his wife suffered more severe injuries. While their 4-year-old child escaped with only bruises, their 7-year-old child was more seriously injured. Both children were released from the hospital within a month of the crash.
Patel has pleaded not guilty, claiming the family’s Tesla had been experiencing tire issues. He told investigators that he stopped three times at gas stations that day while driving to the Devil’s Slide area to put air in his left-rear tire. He added that the car’s tire-pressure sensor light had turned on beforehand.
Yet witnesses say the car never appeared to brake as it flew off the highway — accounts that were bolstered by video from the Tom Lantos Tunnels, court documents show. Investigators also say Tesla’s self-driving features did “not appear to be a contributing factor” in the incident.
In arguing for Patel to be barred from practicing medicine, regulators cited comments made by Patel’s wife after she was rescued from the crumpled car. She told one emergency worker that Patel “did it on purpose,” adding later that “he drove off.”
“He’s depressed,” said Patel’s wife, according to court documents. “He’s a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off.”
Patel’s mental health has taken center stage since emergency crews arrived at the wrecked vehicle. During those first few moments, Patel’s wife urged emergency crews to perform a “psych evaluation” on her husband, court documents show.
When investigators were able to talk to Patel, the physician told them that “he was not really depressed, he just felt down because times were bad in the world, the war and the drugs,” according to an affidavit in support of his arrest.
When investigators specifically asked if he was suicidal, Patel said “you know, not like a plan, not usually.” He added that his wife appeared “irritated” before the crash, because he wanted to go this brother’s house near Montara on their way back to the Los Angeles area, court documents said.
Investigators sought a vast amount of data from Tesla related to the crash, including information uploaded from the car to Tesla’s “cloud” servers, as well as the car’s electronic data recorder.
A preliminary hearing set for this week was delayed while attorneys continue to review evidence in the case.
Source: www.mercurynews.com