A Doctor Attempted Suicide And Tried To Take Three Family Members With Him

     Three days ago, a tragedy occurred near where we live here in Pacifica. A Tesla crashed over and fell down into Devil's Slide. Four people could have died. (There have been other deaths in the past in this area.) The authorities initiated a brave rescue attempt including fire department personnel rappelling down steep cliffs 250 to 300 feet. All four occupants of the car were still alive. The occupants were Dr. Dharmesh Patel aged 41, a radiologist from Pasadena, California, his domestic partner, a 7-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old boy. I credit the survival to the excellent quality of the Tesla. It protected the people inside.

      My first impression was that it was a tragic accident. My second impression was that the driver was impaired by alcohol and drugs. The unfortunate driver would be facing a very serious felony drunk driving charge and other charges including child endangerment and negligence causing grievous bodily harm. The man's medical license would be gone. He would get around 36 months in state prison.

   Then the case turned ugly. The California Highway Patrol determined quickly that the accident was intentional. Dr. Patel had tried to kill himself and his family. Dr. Patel was arrested for three counts of attempted murder and other charges. His medical license is gone. If convicted, he will spend the rest of his life in state prison.

   Children are precious to me. They are a treasure. I cannot imagine anyone who would kill their own children. I am so sad when I think about how traumatized these two young kids will be for the rest of their lives. They will grow up without a father. Their mother will never be the same.

    My mind went back 43 years when I was living in Sydney, Australia. This large city is blessed with one of the best newspapers on planet earth-The Sydney Morning Herald.

    Sydney has far less violent crime than we experience in any US city or cities like Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Lima, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, etc. In early 1982, a Sydney psychiatrist took his gun. He shot and killed his wife and his children. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

    The Sydney Morning Herald went in-depth on this story. It was not a front-page banner headline. It literally covered the entire front section of the newspaper. I took the time to read all that was written. All sorts of experts were interviewed. Relatives and family members of the dead family were interviewed. Of all the thousands of words written, one small part of the article haunts me after all these decades. The conclusion was that the dead psychiatrist came to see his wife and children not as humans but merely as his possession or property. He had the right to destroy his property. It is especially chilling in light of the education that the dead man had received including 4 years of college, medical school, and a fellowship in psychiatry. He intimately understood mental health issues. Why didn't he seek help when he started to have mental health issues?