REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) — A man accused of trying to kill his wife and two young children by driving off a cliff in Northern California pleaded not guilty Thursday attempted murder and domestic violence.

A judge ordered Dharmesh Patel, 41, of Pasadena, to be held without bail.

Patel was seriously injured Jan. 2 when a car plunged 250 feet (76 meters) off a cliff at Devil’s Hill along the Pacific Coast Highway south of San Francisco.

Firefighters had to pull the family — including Patel’s 41-year-old wife, 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, whose names have not been released — from the wreckage. Both children were hospitalized with serious injuries. Patel also faces a charge of aggravated assault, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaff said in a statement.

“We believe the evidence supports the requisite intent to kill,” Wagstaffe said the san francisco chronicle.

The area in San Mateo County is known for its fatal wrecks, and rescuers initially called the family’s survival a miracle. However, Patel was later arrested after California Highway Patrol investigators “developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act,” the agency said.

The authorities have not disclosed possible reasons for the disaster.

At a hearing Thursday, a judge barred Patel from having contact with his wife and children.

He is charged with three counts of attempted murder and domestic violence. He could face life in prison if convicted.

A few months before the crash, Patel worked as a physician at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills area north of Los Angeles.