The California Highway Patrol reported that the driver of a car that fell off a dangerous cliff in Northern California, injuring his two small children and his wife after the 250-foot drop, was hospitalized on Wednesday with critical injuries.
After being discharged from the hospital, Dharmesh A. Patel of Pasadena will be booked into the San Mateo County jail on accusations of attempted murder and child abuse, according to the highway patrol.
He was in a critical but stable condition, and the doctors had not yet given him the all-clear to leave.
After the Tesla automobile plunged down a notorious cliffside Monday along the Pacific Coast Highway close to an area infamous for fatal collisions, rescuers hailed the family’s survival as a “miracle.”
The family had to be cut free from the rubble by the firefighters.
While the parents were lifted by helicopter, they employed a rope system to carry the kids up the cliff in a rescue basket.
The rest of Patel’s family, including his 41-year-old wife, 4-year-old son, and 7-year-old daughter, remained in the hospital on Wednesday.
Mark Andrews, a CHP officer, declined to comment on their health or describe Patel’s injuries.
It was unclear at the time if Patel, 41, had a lawyer.
There were no calls concerning violence at the family’s house, according to Pasadena police records.
If the organization had received or looked into any reports on the family, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The incident brought back thoughts of a 2018 tragedy in which a woman purposely drove an SUV carrying her wife and six adopted children off another cliff in Northern California.
All of them died.
A few days had passed since Washington state authorities launched an investigation into claims that Jennifer Hart’s children were being neglected before the crash in Mendocino County.
Andrews declined to say whether detectives could interview Patel as they looked into his motivation.
He said, “I have no idea what his mental process was.
According to Andrews, the case would probably not be presented to the prosecution until after Patel had been arrested.
Patel practices radiology at the Mission Hills Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The hospital said, “Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is profoundly grieved to learn about a traffic incident involving one of our doctors and his family.”
“We are incredibly thankful that no catastrophic injuries occurred. Due to the ongoing investigation into this occurrence, we won’t say anything more.
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