Four People Survived Going Over A Cliff In A Tesla & Police Suspect It Was Attempted Murder
"The car plunged hundreds of feet down the cliff."
Image of the crashed car. Right: Image of the rescue.
Two adults and two children survived after their Tesla went over a cliff and "plunged hundreds of feet down" onto a rocky beach in California, in what authorities suspect was a deliberate act.
The crash occurred Monday on a stretch of coastal highway through San Mateo County called the Devil's Slide, which is known for fatal crashes, reported ABC 7 News. The outlet claims the driver of the car has since been arrested on attempted murder and child abuse charges.
The car fell over 250 feet from the highway and appeared to flip over multiple times before landing on its wheels just feet away from the water, officials with the Cal Fire San Mateo Santa Cruz Unit said. Rescue crews managed to save all four people from the car.
The vehicle had been carrying a 41-year-old man, a 41-year-old woman, a 9-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, Brian Pottenger of the Coastside Fire Protection District said.
\u201cThis morning, a vehicle with 2 adults and 2 minors went over cliff at Devil's Slide in @sanmateoco. Witnesses saw the accident and called 911. The car plunged hundreds of feet down the cliff and landed on the beach. All four patients were successfully rescued. Watch the video!\u201d— CAL FIRE CZU (@CAL FIRE CZU) 1672706932
Rescue crews descended the cliff and pulled all four passengers to safety. They were found conscious and alert, and were taken to hospital for treatment.
"Two adults suffered non-life threatening injuries, and two children were unharmed," the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office tweeted.
\u201cThis afternoon, deputies responded to a solo vehicle over the side of Hwy 1 south of the Tom Lantos tunnel. Two adults suffered non-life threatening injuries and two children were unharmed. Tremendous collaborative effort btwn SMSO, @CHP_GoldenGate and @calfireSCU\u201d— San Mateo County S.O (@San Mateo County S.O) 1672709763
Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 41, of California, was arrested on attempted murder and child abuse charges on Tuesday, according to documents obtained by CNN and CBS News. The documents didn't say what his relationship is to the woman or the children who were in the car with him.
Patel is expected to be booked into San Mateo County Jail after his release from the hospital.
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