Wife of California doctor Dharmesh Patel who drove her and his kids off cliff in failed murder-suicide bid begs prosecutors to drop charges because 'we need him home' and blames 'mental health episode' for Tesla plunge

The wife of a California doctor who drove her and his kids off a cliff in a failed murder-suicide bid has begged prosecutors to drop the charges.

Dharmesh Patel's wife spoke for the first time in court since the January 2, 2023, incident in which her husband purposely drove off a massive cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway south of San Francisco and plunged from the precipice. 

His wife along with his then-four-year-old son and then-seven-year-old daughter were in the car. They miraculously survived the crash but were left seriously injured.

She urged prosecutors to drop the criminal charges against her husband on Thursday, asking for her husband's release under the condition that he participated in a mental health diversion program. 

'We need him in our life,' Patel's wife told the court on Thursday, before blaming the crash on 'a mental health episode beyond any of our understanding or control,' The Mercury News reported.

Neha Patel (pictured) urged prosecutors to drop the criminal charges against her husband, who drove her and his kids off cliff in failed murder-suicide bid on January 2, 2023

Patel's wife blamed the crash on 'a mental health episode beyond understanding.' Dharmesh Patel (pictured in February 2023) stands in an orange jumpsuit in a San Mateo County courtroom 

Patel's wife said his return will not only 'restore him back to himself, but it will restore the health and wellness of our entire family' 

She also promised that 'things will be different' if her husband is allowed to return home to their family.

Patel's wife said his return will not only 'restore him back to himself, but it will restore the health and wellness of our entire family.' 

Emphasizing the importance of the 'health and safety' of her family, she said that she 'will not hesitate to seek help when needed.' 

'We need — we need him in our life,' Patel's wife added. 'We're not a family without him.'

If the plan is approved, Patel's care would be in the hands of Stanford psychiatric clinician, James Armontrout. 

The medical treatment would entail group and individual therapy sessions, as well as sessions with a psychotherapist.

But the San Mateo County prosecutors, are opposing the request, and have filed motions against it. 

The Pasadena radiologist's children, aged four and seven at the time, and wife Neha Patel, 41, were in the car, and an official said it was an 'absolute miracle' that they made it out alive

Dharmesh Patel, 42, accused of purposefully driving his Tesla off a 250ft Devil Slide's cliff thought he was protecting his family, a psychologist testified

Expressing the impact of her husband's absence of her and her children, Patel's wife said, her son is asking what's 'taking so long' for her father's return. 

'He wished daddy would magically appear on St. Patrick's Day when he saw a rainbow,'  she said. 'Seeing my kids in emotional pain is one of the hardest things I've had to endure.' 

Calling him a 'kind and altruistic' man, she said Patel 'has been my best friend for more than 25 years.'  

In April, it was reported that despite Neha's insistence that her husband intentionally drove their family off a cliff, Patel's defense attorney said that she did not want her husband prosecuted.

The lawyer's statements were rebuffed by Wagstaffe who said that Neha's statements following the crash support the attempted murder charges.

'She said very simply this was not an accident. We do believe the evidence establishes the necessary intent to kill,' Wagstaffe told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The wreckage of the Tesla is pictured at the bottom of the cliff 

Court records show Neha, 41, told a California Highway Patrol officer that, 'He's a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off.'

Witnesses backed that story up and said that they did not see the car attempt to stop as it flew off the cliffside and down onto a rocky beach.

Patel survived with only minor injuries to his leg and foot while Neha had more serious injuries from the crash.

The couple's seven-year-old child was seriously injured and their four-year-old made it out with just bruises. Both children were released from the hospital within weeks. 

The radiologist had initially claimed that he was not guilty and that his Tesla had been experiencing tire issues on the day of the crash. 

He said he had stopped three times at gas stations to put air in the tires and that the tire pressure light had turned on just before they went off the cliff.

In June last year, the doctor was banned from practicing medicine after being called 'an alarming danger to the public,' by the medical board

In June last year, the doctor was banned from practicing medicine after being called 'an alarming danger to the public,' by the medical board. 

Regulators argued that the ban was necessary because Patel had an 'impairment of cognitive abilities needed to safely practice medicine.'

In a statement issued to the Mercury News, the medical board said Patel could not practice 'under any circumstances' with the case still open. 

'The prohibition on practicing medicine will continue until the order is modified by the court or the criminal case against him concludes,' the statement read.

Expert witness called by Patel's attorney, Dr. Mark Patterson, told the court that Patel, 42, was experiencing a psychotic episode and feared his two kids would be sex trafficked prior to the incident. 

'It was paranoid and kind of delusional thinking that he acted on at the time to protect his family from a worse fate,' Patterson told the court. 

'He was concerned that his children were at risk of being kidnapped, possibly for sexual molestation. … There were concerns surrounding the explosion of fentanyl in this country and the war in Ukraine.' 

Patel, who remains in Redwood City jail, pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder. 

Patterson diagnosed Patel with major depressive disorder with a single episode of psychotic features and anxious distress after meeting him a dozen times. 

The psychologist said Patel's psychosis peaked in the days before the car crash, adding that he had been hearing footsteps and thought he was followed.

Patterson said he believed the 42-year-old is qualified for treatment under the mental health diversion law, as he said, 'I see him as someone who is very motivated and amenable to treatment. 

He stopped having delusions while being held without bail at the San Mateo County jail, Patterson testified, adding, 'he still feels a lot of remorse.'