A California man is accused of using his Tesla to kill his family.
Police say he intentionally drove his Tesla off a cliff while his family, including two kids, were in the car.
Police arrested Pasadena resident Dharmesh Patel, 41, on child abuse and attempted murder charges on Tuesday, after he and his family ended up in the hospital after the accident, which police say wasn’t an accident.
The car dropped down about 300 feet down to a rocky beach area known as the Devil’s Slide. California Highway Patrol Spokesperson, Mark Andrews, said that all four family members survived the crash and were hospitalized after sustaining serious injuries.
The car reportedly contained Patel, his wife, and the couple’s 10-year-old girl and nine-year-old boy.
The family of four had been traveling between Montara and Pacifica on Monday morning when the Tesla suddenly veered off the road and plunged. As it went down, the car slammed into rock and flipped a few times before landing straight up, dangerously close to the water.
The Highway Patrol was called to the scene at around 10:50 am on Monday and a dramatic rescue operation followed.
First responders found all occupants conscious, and the two children were still in their car seats which were intact, but the four were trapped in the wrecked vehicle.
Rescuers carried the two children up into a helicopter using baskets and ropes. Their parents were rescued after the kids.
Investigators spoke to witnesses and gathered evidence throughout the night, and based on the evidence they collected, they determined that the crash was an intentional act.
According to the Highway Patrol, Patel will be detained in the San Mateo County jail as soon as he is released from the hospital.
A spokesperson for the Highway Patrol said that in his experience, crashes at the Devil’s Slide usually are fatal. He called the survival of the occupants of the Tesla an “absolute miracle.”