Hearing in Devil's Slide Tesla crash postponed to allow defendant further investigation
REDWOOD CITY – A preliminary hearing in the case of the Southern California doctor who drove his Tesla off a steep cliff near Devil's Slide earlier this year was postponed Monday to allow the defendant more to time to complete an investigation.
Dharmesh A. Patel was driving with his wife and two children on Pacific Coast Highway on Jan. 2 when the car left the road and fell 250 feet onto the rocky shore below. All four survived the crash.
Prosecutors concluded that the act was intentional and on Jan. 30 charged Patel on multiple counts, including attempted murder and child abuse, according to court records.
Alleging that Patel acted unlawfully and with malice aforethought, prosecutors enhanced the attempted murder charges with special allegations that, in the course of the offense, Patel committed acts of domestic violence and inflicted great bodily injury on his victims.
Patel pleaded not guilty on Feb. 9.
According to San Mateo District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, the preliminary hearing was postponed because the Superior Court of San Mateo County "informally approved a defense motion to continue to complete additional investigation."
A new date for the preliminary hearing will be set.