An Indian-origin radiologist who drove his Tesla off a cliff within the US along with his spouse and kids inside allegedly suffered from main depressive dysfunction and was experiencing a psychotic break on the time of the incident, based on media studies.

Dharmesh Patel from Pasadena, California was charged in January final 12 months with three counts of tried homicide after he drove the household’s Tesla off the cliff at Satan’s Slide on Freeway 1 close to Half Moon Bay, based on prosecutors.

Patel, his spouse, Neha, and their kids — a 7-year-old lady and a 4-year-old boy on the time — miraculously survived.

Patel, 43, was experiencing hallucinations, listening to footsteps and believed his kids had been intercourse trafficked, two medical doctors testified at a listening to on Wednesday in Redwood Metropolis.

Wednesday’s listening to was a response to an earlier request from Patel who’s looking for a psychological well being diversion in his case, the New York Submit newspaper reported.

If a choose grants the medical doctors’ request, Patel could be positioned on a two-year therapy plan as an alternative of receiving jail time.

Patel’s fees could be dropped if he does not commit any crimes in the course of the proposed therapy plan.

On the time of the crash, the medical doctors testified, Patel was experiencing a psychotic episode by which he believed that his kids is perhaps intercourse trafficked, Los Angeles Instances newspaper quoted District Lawyer Stephen Wagstaffe as saying.

Docs — Mark Patterson and James Armontrout — testified for the defence.

If Patel is positioned within the psychological diversion program, James Armontrout, a Stanford psychiatric clinician, will oversee the therapy.

“I see him as somebody who could be very motivated and amenable to therapy,” psychologist Mark Patterson testified on the listening to.

Patterson’s prognosis of Patel got here after a collection of 18 assessments have been performed and he spoke with the physician and his siblings.

Prosecutors oppose diversion within the case, arguing that the prosecution’s physician discovered Patel isn’t affected by a significant depressive dysfunction with a psychotic characteristic, however from a distinct dysfunction, generally known as schizoaffective, and that the defence’s proposed therapy plan is not going to be efficient.

Prosecutors consider the case ought to stay in court docket.

Wagstaffe apprehensive that if Patel is launched he is not going to be monitored besides in his conferences with medical doctors.

“If he goes off his remedy, how have you learnt? It is not like being on probation or parole. It is purely the visits with the psychiatrist,” he mentioned.

Patel’s lawyer, Joshua Bentley, didn’t reply to a request for remark, the report mentioned.

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