An Indian-origin radiologist who drove his Tesla off a cliff in the US with his wife and children inside allegedly suffered from major depressive disorder and was experiencing a psychotic break at the time of the incident, according to media reports.
Dharmesh Patel from Pasadena, California was charged in January last year with three counts of attempted murder after he drove the family바카라s Tesla off the cliff at Devil바카라s Slide on Highway 1 near Half Moon Bay, according to prosecutors.
Patel, his wife, Neha, and their children 바카라 a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy at the time 바카라 miraculously survived.
Patel, 43, was experiencing hallucinations, hearing footsteps and believed his children had been sex trafficked, two doctors testified at a hearing on Wednesday in Redwood City.
Wednesday바카라s hearing was a 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 would be placed on a two-year treatment plan instead of receiving jail time.
Patel바카라s charges would be dropped if he doesn바카라t commit any crimes during the proposed treatment plan.
At the time of the crash, the doctors testified, Patel was experiencing a psychotic episode in which he believed that his children might be sex trafficked, Los Angeles Times newspaper quoted District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe as saying.
Doctors -- Mark Patterson and James Armontrout -- testified for the defence.
If Patel is placed in the mental diversion program, James Armontrout, a Stanford psychiatric clinician, will oversee the treatment.
바카라I see him as someone who is very motivated and amenable to treatment,바카라 psychologist Mark Patterson testified at the hearing.
Patterson바카라s diagnosis of Patel came after a series of 18 tests were conducted and he spoke with the doctor and his siblings.
Prosecutors oppose diversion in the case, arguing that the prosecution바카라s doctor found Patel is not suffering from a major depressive disorder with a psychotic feature, but from a different disorder, known as schizoaffective, and that the defence바카라s proposed treatment plan will not be effective.
Prosecutors believe the case should remain in court.
Wagstaffe worried that if Patel is released he will not be monitored except in his meetings with doctors.
바카라If he goes off his medication, how do you know? It바카라s not like being on probation or parole. It바카라s purely the visits with the psychiatrist,바카라 he said.
Patel바카라s attorney, Joshua Bentley, did not respond to a request for comment, the report said.
