Tesla driver faces murder charges after driving car off a cliff with his wife and 2 children

According to authorities, a Tesla driver has been arrested and charged with intentionally driving off a cliff in Northern California with the intention of killing his family.

According to a press release released on Tuesday by the California Highway Patrol, officials received a report of a vehicle over the cliff side on Highway 1 about 20 miles south of downtown San Francisco at approximately 10:50 a.m. local time on Monday.

Two children, a boy who was 4 years old and a girl who was 7 years old, and two adults, both 41 years old, were inside the white Tesla about 250 to 300 feet down a cliff next to the Pacific Ocean. All of them survived from the crash.

A helicopter rescue technician was lowered to the scene and assisted in the rescue of them, while firefighters rappelled down the cliff to save the children first. According to the Highway Patrol, the two adults were taken to a nearby hospital by a Stanford Life Flight helicopter.

"We come out here unfortunately all too often for things like this," Coastside Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Brian Pottenger told local TV station KTVU. "And this was nothing short of a miracle today that they survived." Highway Patrol said. 

Dharmesh Patel, the driver of crashed Tesla, was taken into custody on suspicion of child abuse and attempted murder after officials asserted that the incident was intentional. 

"CHP investigators worked throughout the night interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene," Highway Patrol stated. "Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act."

After being discharged from the hospital, Patel will be taken to the San Mateo County Jail.