Doctor Accused In Devil's Slide Crash Barred From Practicing Medicine

PACIFICA, CA — State regulators moved this week to bar a SoCal doctor from practicing medicine while he faces attempted murder charges alleging he intentionally drove his Tesla off a cliff near Devil's Slide with his family inside early this year.

Dharmesh Patel, 41, of Pasadena, has remained jailed without bail in San Mateo County since his arrest on Jan. 2. Prosecutors allege Patel purposefully drove a vehicle carrying his wife and two children off a cliff, sending the car 250 feet onto the rocks below. He pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempted murder in February, claiming his vehicle had tire issues.

According to The Mercury News, witnesses told police the vehicle did not appear to slow down as it left the highway, and Patel's wife told first responders that he was depressed and "did it on purpose."

A judge postponed a preliminary hearing in the case in March to give Patel's defense more time to finish an investigation.

The Mercury News reported Wednesday that the Medical Board of California asked a San Mateo judge to bar Patel from practicing medicine if he is released on bail, citing potential danger to the public and an "impairment of cognitive abilities needed to safely practice medicine." The judge approved the request Monday, but a date for the preliminary hearing is still pending.