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Dharmesh Patel’s mugshot reveals bloodshot eye with a stone-faced look after allegedly trying to kill his wife and two children

Dharmesh Patel was charged with three counts of attempted murder for purposely driving his Tesla off the highway along with his wife and two children

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741).

SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA: Dharmesh Patel, a father of two suspected of trying to kill his family, was seen for the first time in his recently-released mugshot following the deadly crash of January 2, 2023. The 41-year-old, who was in the hospital with severe lower body injuries, was arrested on January 27 and taken to San Mateo County Jail.

The California doctor's left eye appears to be almost completely filled with blood in his mug shot. He also has an unkempt beard and glares at the camera with a stone-faced look. On Monday, January 30, Patel was charged with three counts of attempted murder for purposely sending his wife and two kids off the "Devil's Slide" on the Pacific Coast Highway earlier this month. He will additionally be subject to charges of serious bodily harm and domestic abuse. Rescuers had to free all four occupants — Patel, his wife Neha, their 7-year-old daughter, and their 4-year-old son — from the shattered Tesla after it fell 250 feet onto the rocky shore. Fortunately, the whole family survived the crash, which authorities are describing as "a miracle."

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What led to Dharmesh Patel’s alleged murder-suicide bid?

When rescuers ripped up the smart car, Neha was still conscious as she reportedly exclaimed that her husband had "intentionally tried to kill us." Her daughter and she are still in the hospital being treated for unidentified severe injuries, while her son was able to escape the crash with only bruises.

The cause of the collapse is currently under investigation by the officials. The Tesla did not appear to be in the self-drive mode and it did not display any technical issues. In a video taken from a tunnel, Patel can be seen "making a sharp right turn over the cliff," and an eyewitness claimed that he didn't try to stop.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe for San Mateo County said, "We're looking into what led up to this. Was there depression or anything else? It wasn't just that he was trying to kill them, he was trying to kill himself too."

'This is a very sad story!'

People who were engaged in the fatal vehicle crash scenario shared their opinions on Twitter. One person wrote, "This is a very sad story !" Another individual who feels bad about the Tesla being wrecked wrote, "Dude you should have bought a Corolla instead."

A third individual wrote, "Bet he was having an affair," to which another individual responded, "He better say that s**t switched to auto pilot." This other person wrote, "I can't imagine torment of being trapped in car before rescuers arrived, knowing what he had done & was now capable of... I suspect history of @ least emotional abuse prior. This husband calculated & planned this death action. Epitome of someone who is controlling & abusive."

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