- A doctor has been arrested after police accused him of intentionally driving a Tesla off a cliff.
- The man's wife and two kids were reportedly inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.
- They all miraculously survived and were rescued via helicopter after the Monday car wreck.
A California doctor has been arrested after investigators say he intentionally drove a Tesla off a notorious 250-foot cliff in the state with another adult and two kids inside of the vehicle, seriously wounding them and himself, according to authorities.
Driver Dharmesh Patel, a 42-year-old Pasadena resident, is facing charges of attempted murder and child abuse in connection to the Monday car wreck, the California Highway Patrol said in a statement on Tuesday.
"CHP investigators worked throughout the night interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene," the law enforcement agency said. "Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act."
Patel, a radiologist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles, and the passengers inside the Tesla miraculously survived and were rescued via helicopter after the vehicle plunged off a cliff known as Devil's Slide in Northern California on Monday.
The passengers inside the car were reportedly Patel's wife, his 7-year-old daughter, and 4-year-old son, KABC-TV reported.
They were all taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, the highway patrol said. However, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet that the children were "unharmed."
According to CHP, Patel is being treated for his injuries and will be booked into San Mateo County Jail after he is released from the hospital.
Investigators said they have not determined what driving mode the Tesla was in, but that it "does not appear to be a contributing factor in this incident."
It was not immediately clear whether Patel had retained an attorney.