The wife of a doctor who drove his family off a cliff last month in California does not want him prosecuted for the attempted murder of herself and their two young children, according to reports.
Dharmesh Patel, 42, was in court last week and pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder when his defense attorney stated that Neha Patel did not want her husband prosecuted. However, Neha Patel told paramedics at the crash site that “he tried to kill us.”
“She said very simply this was not an accident. We do believe the evidence establishes the necessary intent to kill,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Dharmesh Patel remains in jail and could face a life sentence if convicted. He was ordered to have only limited contact with his family.
The doctor was driving along a narrow oceanside highway near San Francisco when he suddenly took a sharp turn and veered off a cliff. His Tesla landed on a bed of rocks near the surf and had to be rescued by teams that rappelled 250 feet from the road.
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Dharmesh Patel and his wife and two children all survived without serious injuries. The family lived in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, where Patel worked as a hospital radiologist.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher told NBC Bay Area that Dharmesh Patel will be prosecuted regardless of his wife’s wishes.
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California has strong laws pertaining to prosecutions that can proceed without victims, intended to assist in domestic violence and sexual assault cases.
“We have collected some evidence, but the investigation will go on, and we think it will establish the motive in this case,” he said. “Our belief is that regardless of whether she is cooperative, we believe we have sufficient evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”
