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Jan 4 (Reuters) - A doc whom constabulary accidental intentionally drove his Tesla disconnected a California cliff - injuring his 2 children, his woman and himself - volition look attempted execution and kid maltreatment charges erstwhile released from a infirmary wherever helium was successful unchangeable information connected Wednesday.
Dharmesh Patel, 41, a radiologist from Pasadena, was placed nether apprehension aft being rescued from the destroyed conveyance astatine the rocky bottommost of Devil's Slide, a notoriously unsafe cliff supra the Pacific Ocean southbound of San Francisco.
Patel, his 41-year-old wife, his 7-year-old girl and his his 4-year-old-son each survived the astir 300-foot (91-meter) plunge to the water's edge.
Patel was transported to infirmary with superior injuries connected Monday, the California Highway Patrol said. Authorities program to publication him into the San Mateo County Jail successful Redwood City upon his release.
It was not instantly wide whether Patel had retained a lawyer.
Initial media reports aft the clang connected Monday said the Tesla whitethorn person been successful afloat self-driving mode but CHP has since said the driving mode did not look to person been a contributing origin to the accident.
"Based connected the grounds collected, investigators developed probable origin to judge this incidental was an intentional act," CHP said successful a statement.
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, the Los Angeles infirmary wherever Patel works, said it was "deeply saddened" to larn of the incident.
"We are highly grateful determination were nary terrible injuries," it said successful a statement. "We volition not respond further, arsenic this incidental is nether investigation."
The rescue took astir 3 hours to complete, said Brian Pottenger, battalion main of the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit.
The children, who had insignificant injuries, were the archetypal to beryllium rescued, aft which a chopper hoisted the adults, who had much superior injuries, Pottenger said.
"The children were secured decently successful due car seats, and the car seats were secured decently into the vehicle," Pottenger said. "The car seats saved the lives of those 2 kids, successful our opinion."
Rescue workers responded to a telephone aft 10 a.m. connected Monday of a car implicit the broadside of the roadworthy southbound of the Tom Lantos Tunnels successful the San Francisco area.
The Tesla driven by Patel was traveling connected the main portion of the roadway earlier it veered disconnected the cliff, helium said.
"There's ever been accidents successful that country wherever vehicles person traveled disconnected the roadway implicit the years," helium said.
Reporting by Tyler Clifford successful New York; Editing by Sandra Maler
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