Indian-American Drove Family Off Cliff, Wife Against His Prosecution: Report

The man is being held without bail. (Representational)

Houston:

The wife of a 41-year-old Indian-origin doctor accused of attempting to murder his family, including his two children, in a car crash in the US has said that she doesn’t want him to be prosecuted, media reports said.

Dharmesh A Patel, a physician from Pasadena, California, was accused of intentionally driving his wife and their two children in a Tesla car off a cliff in California last month.

According to his attorney Joshua Bentley, Mr Patel’s wife, who initially informed rescue officials that the accused drove off the cliff on purpose, said she doesn’t want him prosecuted, the Fox News Channel reported on Monday.

Bentley told the court last week that the central witness, later determined to be his client’s wife, hoped Mr Patel would not be prosecuted, KNTV news station reported.

Mr Patel pleaded not guilty on February 9 for three counts of attempted murder and two enhancements, New York Post newspaper reported last week.

He drove his Tesla off the Pacific Coast Highway on January 2 with his wife and his two children – aged 5 and 7 – inside the car, allegedly on purpose.

All four miraculously survived the fall and were rescued. According to the report, Mr Patel, his wife and the elder child were seriously injured, while the younger child escaped with minor injuries.

Firefighters rappelled down the cliff to save the two children, and a helicopter crew rescued the two adults from the vehicle, NBC News reported.

The prosecution has sufficient evidence to prove the charges against Mr Patel, San Mateo Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

At Thursday’s hearing, a judge reenacted a no-contact order against Mr Patel, which had previously been lifted and replaced with a no-harassment order. It prevents him from communicating with his family.

Mr Patel is being held without bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 20.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)