Devil’s Slide crash driver transferred from hospital to jail

Authorities said Friday that the driver of a car that fell 250 feet (76 meters) off a treacherous cliff in northern California, injuring his two young children and wife, has been released from hospital and jailed on suspicion of attempted murder and violent dealing with children.

Dharmesh A. Patel, 41, was jailed without bail and could be charged Monday afternoon if the San Mateo District Attorney’s office decides to file a criminal case, the report said.

The department did not specify when he was discharged from the hospital.

It was not immediately clear whether Patel had a lawyer who could act on his behalf.

A Pasadena resident was seriously injured when a Tesla sedan fell off a cliff on Devil’s Slide along the Pacific Coast Highway on January 2.

Rescuers first called the family’s survival a miracle after the sedan crashed in an area about 15 miles (24 km) south of San Francisco, which is known for fatal crashes.

Firefighters had to cut out the entire family from the rubble, including Patel’s 41-year-old wife, 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son.

Patel was later arrested after investigators with the California Highway Patrol “came to have credible grounds to believe the incident was a deliberate act,” the agency said.

However, District Attorney Steve Wagstaff said this week that investigators are also looking into the Tesla Model Y to rule out the possibility of a mechanical problem.

“Brakes failed? Did the brakes work? Were there any other mechanical problems that would have caused him to be unable to stop the car?” Wagstaffe told the Los Angeles Times. “We are looking at the car from top to bottom.”