A Pasadena radiologist’s mental state has taken center stage at a hearing to determine whether he will be placed in a mental health diversion program rather than face trial for multiple attempted murder charges stemming from a January 2023 crash that sent his Tesla plunging off Highway 1 near Devil’s Slide.
Dharmesh Patel, the radiologist in question, is accused of intentionally driving his Tesla off the cliff, seriously injuring his wife and 7-year-old child and causing minor injuries to his 4-year-old child. Patel has since claimed that the family’s Tesla had been experiencing tire issues that may have caused the crash, but prosecutors have argued that he acted intentionally.
A clinical and forensic psychologist testified Wednesday that Patel was a good candidate for the diversion program because he was a low risk for harming anyone else after showing strong progress over the last year. The psychologist, Mark Patterson, said that Patel was “very motivated and amenable to treatment” and had a “good capacity” to respond to treatment.
However, prosecutors have questioned Patterson’s diagnosis, suggesting that Patel’s illness more closely resembles schizoaffective disorder, a chronic condition similar to schizophrenia. The prosecutors are expected to continue questioning Patterson on Wednesday afternoon.
If Patel is granted entry into the diversion program, the charges against him could be dismissed over the next couple of years after he completes a court-ordered treatment program. However, even if he does win entry into the program, it’s unclear whether he will be able to practice medicine anytime soon. Last year, a judge barred Patel from practicing medicine while he awaits trial on the charges, with the agency arguing that Patel represented “an alarming danger to the public” in light of an “impairment of cognitive abilities needed to safely practice medicine.”
