Driver Of Tesla That Went Over Calif. Cliff With His Family Inside Moved From Hospital To Jail

Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 41, was previously arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse earlier this month while at a local hospital

PHOTO: SGT BRIAN MOORE/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK

The driver of a Tesla that fell around 250 feet over a California cliff earlier this month has been released from the hospital and moved to a local jail on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse, according to the Associated Press.

Dharmesh A. Patel is now being held without bail at the San Mateo County Jail over the crash, which left his wife and two young children injured. He could be arraigned Monday afternoon, the San Mateo District Attorney’s Office told the AP, should the office file criminal charges.

The DA’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. It remains unclear if Patel, 41, has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.Scenes from the Tesla crash rescue. UNCREDITED/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK

Patel was arrested at the Stanford Hospital earlier this month, per an arrest report by the California Highway Patrol that was shared with PEOPLE.

In its report, the agency said that Patel, a Pasadena resident and radiologist, was located after police were alerted of “a vehicle over the side of the cliff on SR-1” around 10:50 a.m. local time on Jan. 2.

Those in the vehicle — which the report said included a 41-year-old woman, 7-year-old girl and 4-year-old along with Patel — were then rushed “to a local hospital with serious injuries” after the car was found to have fallen somewhere between 250 and 300 feet off the northern California cliff known as the Devil’s Slide.

The California Highway Patrol previously shared it did not think the Telsa’s self-drive feature was a factor in the crash.

Authorities in California said earlier in the month that it was an “absolute miracle” that all passengers survived.

Brian Pottenger, a battalion chief for Coastside Fire Protection District/Cal Fire, explained that the car appeared to have “flipped several times” before landing on a beach on its wheels. Police saw “movement in the front seat” when they arrived at the scene.

“We knew we had at least one person that was alive,” he said. “We were actually very shocked.”

The DA told the Los Angeles Times previously that prosecutors are now also exploring if mechanical problems could have caused the crash.

“Did the brakes fail? Were the brakes working? Were there any other mechanical malfunctions that would have led to him not being able to stop the vehicle?” DA Steve Wagstaffe said in an interview. “We’re having the car looked at from top to bottom.”

Days after the crash, neighbors described Patel, wife Neha and their two kids as an “idyllic” family at the end of their cul-de-sac with “no indication of issues” during a conversation with the Times. Patel, who worked at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, was often seen playing outside with his kids, neighbors said.

“Really I can’t believe it,” neighbor Sarah Walker told the outlet. “No one can believe it. They felt like newlyweds. The way they interact and look at each other, it just felt like they should be together.”

Source: people.com