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The operator of a Tesla that plunged implicit a cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway — injuring 2 children and a 2nd big — was arrested connected suspicion of attempted execution and kid abuse, the California Highway Patrol said Tuesday.
The road patrol identified the driver as Dharmesh A. Patel from Pasadena, California, and said helium volition beryllium booked into San Mateo County Jail aft he’s released from the hospital.
Patel, 42, was successful the conveyance with a 4-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl, and a 41-year-old woman, according to tribunal documents cited by CBS News. It was not instantly wide if they were each members of the aforesaid family.
“CHP investigators worked passim the nighttime interviewing witnesses and gathering grounds from the scene,” the road patrol said successful a statement. “Based connected the grounds collected, investigators developed probable origin to judge this incidental was an intentional act.”
Patel is simply a doc successful radiology astatine Providence Holy Cross Medical Center successful the Mission Hills country of Los Angeles, and a connection released by the infirmary connected Tuesday indicated that members of his household were successful the car.
“Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is profoundly saddened to larn of a postulation incidental involving 1 of our physicians and his family,” said the statement, which was reported by KABC-TV. “We are highly grateful determination were nary superior injuries. We volition not respond further, arsenic this incidental is nether investigation.”
The conveyance seemingly flipped a fewer times earlier landing connected its wheels, wedged against the cliff conscionable feet from the surf, Brian Pottenger, a battalion main with the agency, said astatine the scene.
On Monday afternoon, Cal Fire San Mateo's Santa Cruz Unit shared a video letting drivers successful the country cognize that the car went implicit the cliff and determination would beryllium delays on the coastal roadway.
The Tesla plummeted much than 250 feet from the road and crashed into a rocky outcropping, officials said. Pottenger said the vehicle flipped respective times earlier landing connected its wheels, wedged against the cliff conscionable feet from the surf.
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Neither CAL Fire nor the California Highway Patrol could instantly beryllium reached for remark by USA TODAY Tuesday greeting for an update connected the victims' conditions.
Crashes on Devil’s Slide, a steep, rocky and winding coastal country astir 20 miles south of San Francisco between Pacifica and Montara, seldom extremity with survivors.
“We spell determination each the clip for cars implicit the cliff and they ne'er live. This was an implicit miracle,” Pottenger said.
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Watching done binoculars
Pottenger said witnesses called 911 astatine 10:15 a.m. and responding crews acceptable up a enactment strategy from the road to little firefighters down the cliff.
At the aforesaid time, helium said, different firefighters watching the sedan done binoculars abruptly noticed question – a motion that astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic was inactive alive.
“Every 1 of america was shocked erstwhile we saw question retired of the beforehand windshield,” Pottenger said.
The incidental turned from what had been apt a betterment of bodies to a rescue cognition that took respective hours amid changeless rain, dense winds, slick roads and crashing waves. The doors were smashed against the cliff and jammed shut, truthful firefighters were forced to chopped the victims retired of the car utilizing the alleged “jaws of life” tools.
Crews pulled the 2 children retired of the Tesla's back model and brought them up the cliff successful a handbasket utilizing a rope. They were rushed to the infirmary by ambulance to beryllium treated for musculoskeletal injuries, officials reported.
Based on the California Highway Patrol's archetypal investigation, troopers bash not believe the Tesla was operating successful Autopilot oregon Full Self-Driving mode astatine the time, Officer Mark Andrews said.
The road’s conditions were besides not believed to beryllium a origin successful the crash. There was nary guardrail astatine the spot wherever the sedan went disconnected the cliff.
“The car traveled disconnected the main information of the roadway. For what reason, we don’t know,” Andrews said.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending quality for USA TODAY. Reach her astatine nalund@usatoday.com and travel her connected Twitter @nataliealund.
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