A radiologist of Indian origin who drove his Tesla off a cliff in the US with his wife and children inside reportedly suffered from a depressive disorder and was experiencing a psychotic breakdown at the time of the incident, according to media reports.
Dharmesh Patel of Pasadena, California, was charged with three counts of attempted murder last January after driving the family's Tesla off the cliff at Devil's Slide on Highway 1 near Half Moon Bay, prosecutors said.
Patel, his wife Neha and their children – a seven-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy at the time – miraculously survived.
Patel, 43, suffered from hallucinations, heard footsteps and believed his children had been trafficked for sex, two doctors testified Wednesday during a hearing in Redwood City.
Wednesday's hearing was in response to an earlier request from Patel, who is seeking a mental health diversion in his case, the New York Post newspaper reported.
If a judge grants the doctors' request, Patel should receive a two-year treatment plan instead of prison time.
Patel's charges would be dropped if he commits no crimes during the proposed treatment plan.
At the time of the crash, doctors said, Patel was experiencing a psychotic episode in which he believed his children may have been sex-trafficked, the Los Angeles Times newspaper quoted District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe as saying.
Doctors – Mark Patterson and James Armontrout – testified for the defense.
If Patel is placed in the mental diversion program, James Armontrout, a psychiatric doctor at Stanford, will oversee the treatment.
“I see him as someone who is highly motivated and amenable to treatment,” psychologist Mark Patterson testified during the hearing.
Patterson's diagnosis of Patel came after a series of 18 tests were performed and he spoke with the doctor and his siblings.
Prosecutors oppose diversion in the case, arguing that the plaintiff's doctor determined that Patel was not suffering from a depressive disorder with a psychotic feature, but from another disorder known as schizoaffective, and that the defense's proposed treatment plan will not be effective.
Prosecutors believe the case should remain in court.
Wagstaffe feared that if Patel is released, he will not be monitored except during his meetings with doctors.
'If he stops taking his meds, how will you know? It's not like probation or parole. It is purely the visits to the psychiatrist,” he said.
Patel's attorney, Joshua Bentley, did not respond to a request for comment, the report said.
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