A California man is facing attempted murder charges after allegedly driving his Tesla off a cliff with his wife and two young children inside. The incident occurred on January 2, 2023, on Highway 1 in Pacifica, California.
The man, Dharmesh Patel, 41, was driving his Tesla Model Y with his wife, Neha Patel, 39, and their two children, a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, when he allegedly veered off the road and drove over a cliff. The car landed 330 feet below, crashing onto the beach.
All four family members were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Neha Patel and their daughter suffered the most serious injuries, and they remain hospitalized. Dharmesh Patel and their son were released from the hospital after a few days.
Neha Patel told authorities that her husband had been acting strangely in the days leading up to the crash. She said he had been talking about suicide, and she had even called the police to report him.
Dharmesh Patel has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder. He is being held in custody without bail.
The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash. They have not yet determined what caused Patel to drive off the cliff. However, they have said that there is no evidence that the Tesla was malfunctioning.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of self-driving cars. Tesla has a feature called Autopilot that allows the car to drive itself on certain highways. However, Autopilot is not a fully self-driving system, and drivers are still required to be alert and ready to take control at all times.
The crash in Pacifica is a reminder that self-driving cars are still in their early stages of development, and there is still a risk of human error.
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