SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 4: A 41-year old Indian-American, wife and two children
had a 'miraculous' escape after the man drove their car off a cliff on the Pacific
Coast Highway and crashed 300 feet down in California on Monday morning (local
time). The incident took place about 30 km south of San Francisco. In a remarkable
feat, firefighters and a rescue helicopter swung into action and quickly lifted
them alive!
A devastating crash deliberately executed, for what reason is not known, is
how the rescuers and eyewitnesses described the fall.
The car turtled off from the Devil's Slide cliff on the highway, to the rocky beach
down on the Pacific. The vehicle the Indian-American Dharmesh Patel drove was a Tesla. Under treatment, he has been placed under arrest for attempted murder. He is from Pasadena in California. He will be sent to San Mateo County jail after discharge from hospital. The woman and the two children - a 4-year old girl and a 9-year old boy - are also in hospital in critical condition.
“Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to
believe this incident was an intentional act,” the State’s highway patrol said.
The firefighters rappelled down the cliff to reach the car where they found
life inside. They took the kids out and up by a rope and baskets. The man and
the woman were hoisted by the highway patrol chopper. All of them were inside
the car.
The Tesla was going south on Highway 1, south of the Tom Lantos Tunnel between
Pacifica and Montara on Monday morning around 10:30, a report said. It flipped
several times aside the rocks and came to rest on its wheels, like a cat.
Dozens of similar fatal accidents have taken place at the Devil's Slide cliff area
in recent years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The California
Department of Transportation itself had admitted some time ago that the area
is the most accident-prone in the State because of the road condition.
