The remarkable survival of a California doctor and his family after he drove them off a 250-foot cliff in a Tesla SUV is likely due to a mix of good fortune and the sturdy construction of the cliff, according to experts.
Jingwen Yu, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, described Dr. Dharmesh Patel and his family’s survival after Monday’s horrific fall off the Pacific Coast Highway as “kind of a miracle.”
“The driver likely underestimated the safety of a vehicle, giving us ‘hope’ for vehicle safety,” Yu told NBC News.
Officials think that Patel, 41, purposely drove his wife Neha and their two children – a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy – over the cliff’s edge. It remains unknown what driving mode the Tesla was in, including whether its Autopilot function was used.
Professor of mechanical engineering Jingwen Yu described the family’s survival as “almost a miracle” given the magnitude of the hit.
Yu stated that San Mateo County Sheriff’s Officer Dr. harmesh Patel “likely underestimated how secure a vehicle could be.”
Yu noted that despite the intense impact, the vehicle’s integrity remained astonishingly intact, a feat that could be attributed to the vehicle’s sturdy roof.
“The occupants still have a space for survival. That is extraordinary,” he told NBC News.
Yu said that the batteries contributed to the vehicle’s low center of gravity and helped maintain the vehicle upright, so preventing further harm to the family.
Patel, his wife Neha, and their children survived after their electric car careened off the notoriously treacherous “Devil’s Slide” section of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Contrary to what fire officials have stated, Jose Granda, a professor of mechanical engineering at California State University, Sacramento, does not believe the SUV rolled over before coming to rest on its wheels.
He stated that computer models prove it was impossible and that he does not believe the automobile crashed into the cliff on its way down.
Granda stated that if the Tesla had flipped over as depicted, the roof would have collapsed and all occupants would have perished.
On its descent, he added, the SUV likely reached speeds in excess of 80 mph before the pebble-like pebbles and sand beside the river softened its impact.
The expert compared the landing area to a Chuck E. Cheese ball pit.
“You are the reason these people are still alive,” he said, adding that the electric vehicle’s batteries likely prevented the vehicle from tipping forward.
David Zuby, head researcher at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told NBC News that no manufacturer plans for an event like the cliff fall.
“In my 35 years working on vehicle safety, I’ve never heard an automaker say, ‘Check out this crash test we’re conducting for extra credit,’” Zuby said.
“No modern automobile is designed to protect the driver in such a scenario,” he added, adding that the family’s survival was “mostly a matter of luck.”
Mark Andrew, a spokesperson for the Highway Patrol, told NBC News on Thursday that the family members remained hospitalized, but he declined to detail their situations.
Authorities have stated that Patel will be charged with attempted murder and child abuse after he is discharged from Stanford Hospital.
No potential motive has been identified, and the incident is still under investigation.
In a statement, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center stated it was “very saddened to learn about a traffic incident involving one of our physicians and his family.
“We are incredibly thankful that no catastrophic injuries occurred. We will not comment further while this matter is under review,” the statement continued.
»Experts claim Tesla technology and good fortune saved a family following a cliff fall«