Indian-Origin US Man Drives Tesla Off Cliff With Wife, 2 Children Inside

Washington: 

A 41-year-old Indian-origin man has been arrested in the US on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse after he intentionally drove a Tesla off a cliff with his wife and two children inside, according to media reports.

Dharmesh A Patel of Pasadena, California, will be sent to San Mateo County Jail after he is released from a hospital, the highway patrol said in a statement.

Dharmesh Patel, his wife and children survived and were rescued on Monday at Devil’s Slide in San Mateo County, the California Highway Patrol said.

The rescue involved firefighters who rappelled down the cliff to save the two children, a 4-year-old girl, and a 9-year-old boy. A helicopter crew rescued the two adults from the vehicle, NBC News, an American broadcast television network, said.

Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act,” it said in a statement.

Brian Pottenger, the incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said witnesses called 911 after the crash.