Joel Umanzor
San Francisco Chronicle
(TNS)
Jan. 3—The driver of a Tesla that went over a San Mateo County cliff Monday wasarrested Tuesday on charges of attempted murder after California Highway Patrol investigators say he intentionally drove the vehicle — which contained another adult and two children — over the edge.
Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 40, of Pasadena, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse, according to CHP. He is being treated for injuries at Stanford Hospital and will be booked into San Mateo County jail upon his release from the hospital.
Firefighters and paramedics initially responded to reports of the crash around 10:50 a.m. on Monday and found two children, ages 7 and 4, and two adults trapped in the vehicle that went over the road’s edge while traveling south on Highway 1 near the Tom Lantos Tunnels. Witnesses told Cal Fire the car simply veered off the highway and over the dirt shoulder before it plummeted.
The car fell 250 to 300 feet down the cliff, CHP said.
All four people were alive and conscious during the rescue, were able to be extricated and were transported to local hospitals. The current condition of the children and the other passenger — a 41-year-old woman — were not immediately known on Tuesday afternoon.
Anyone who saw the crash is encouraged to contact San Francisco CHP investigators at (415) 557-1094.
Joel Umanzor (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: joel.umanzor@sfchronicle.com
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