By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 13:19 EST, 31 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:39 EST, 31 October 2013 . A panicked German pensioner left two teenage girls crippled after he tried to stop his campervan hurtling down a steep hill by mistakenly slamming the clutch. Holidaymaker Arnold Kasserra thought he was flooring the brake pedal, but his Fiat Advantage camper merely gained more speed as it raced down the hill in Beer, East Devon. He narrowly avoided mowing down two women in their 50s after he missed a bend and ended up freewheeling the wrong way down one-way Common Lane. Panicked: German tourist Arnold Kasserra with his wife Evelyn. Kasserra's whose runaway camper van left two girls badly hurt after he pressed the clutch and not brake pedal as he tried to stop it . But the out-of-control van then ploughed into a stone wall, went flying and smashed into a group of 16-year-old girls who were out celebrating their GCSE results. At Exeter Crown Court today, 67-year-old Kasserra admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 18 months, suspended for two years. He said he was unable to forget the consequences of his ‘error and panic’. The two badly injured victims were among a group of of five girls from Bristol who had chosen to celebrate their excellent exam results in the quiet fishing village rather than going to loud and popular Newquay, the court heard. Both girls - Natalie Palmer and Victoria Vipond - had been keen sportswomen, however both have been left incapacitated after suffering severe leg injuries. The impact also broke Natalie's neck. In a victim impact statement Victoria said she cannot wear shoes, has had a toe amputated, uses crutches and has had skin grafts to cover unsightly holes in her shin and foot. She has not been able to go back to school and has not been able to continue with her love of tap and jazz dancing. Wheelchair bound Natalie, who could have died three times from her injuries, has to wear a neck brace, spends most of her time in bed and needs her parents help to do basic tasks. Haunted by his 'error and panic': At Exeter Crown Court today, 67-year-old Kasserra admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 18 months, suspended for two years . Prosecutor Eleanor Perkiss said: 'This is a tragic case for all concerned.' She said Kasserra kept pressing the wrong pedal with his foot and the camper van was gaining speed down the hill for 20 seconds before the awful impact next to a pub and tea room in the quiet seaside fishing village. She said Kassera, a former engineer, who was with his wife Evelyn in the van, failed to sound his horn to warn passers-by and other road users. Miss Perkiss said he struck a stone wall, which disintegrated. The van became airborne and struck the girls before coming to rest on an open culvert - which prevented it ploughing into a tearoom. She said Kassera was used to driving the van over nine years throughout Europe but in his panic he kept pressing the wrong pedal and van gained more speed and went out of control. Defence barrister Adrian Chaplin said: 'He went to brake for the bend but he made the error that continued, fuelled by panic, as he progressed down the hill. 'It was a failure to press the right pedal. There was nothing wrong with the vehicle. At no stage was he driving dangerously deliberately.' Kasserra's Fiat Advantage after the crash: Natalie Palmer and Victoria Vipond had been keen sportswomen, however both have been left incapacitated by severe leg injuries. The impact also broke Natalie's neck . Kassera, from Lower Saxony, said his wife screamed at him to apply the handbrake, but the court heard this might have been an even more dangerous manoeuvre. The judge, Recorder William Andreae-Jones QC, said: 'The two girls have suffered an appalling accident through no fault of their own. There can be no doubt, this accident was your fault.' He told the defendant he had no previous convictions, admitted his guilt at the first opportunity, was full of remorse and said drink or drugs played no part in the morning accident in July. The court heard that both Kassera and his wife were hurt in the crash. Judge Andreae-Jones told Kasserra: 'It was an appalling accident which just happened because you lost your head. You were pressing the wrong pedal and panicked. ' He jailed the German for 18 months, suspended for two years, banned him from driving for five years and ordered him to pay £1,000 court costs. The judge said his insurance company would sort out compensation for the injured girls as they continue their long journey towards recovery. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
The horror smash left two girls out celebrating their GCSE results crippled .
One must now walk with crutches while the other is wheelchair bound .
Arnold Kassera admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving .
He was sentenced to 18-months jail, suspended for two years .
By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 13:19 EST, 31 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:39 EST, 31 October 2013 . A panicked German pensioner left two teenage girls crippled after he tried to stop his campervan hurtling down a steep hill by mistakenly slamming the clutch. Holidaymaker Arnold Kasserra thought he was flooring the brake pedal, but his Fiat Advantage camper merely gained more speed as it raced down the hill in Beer, East Devon. He narrowly avoided mowing down two women in their 50s after he missed a bend and ended up freewheeling the wrong way down one-way Common Lane. Panicked: German tourist Arnold Kasserra with his wife Evelyn. Kasserra's whose runaway camper van left two girls badly hurt after he pressed the clutch and not brake pedal as he tried to stop it . But the out-of-control van then ploughed into a stone wall, went flying and smashed into a group of 16-year-old girls who were out celebrating their GCSE results. At Exeter Crown Court today, 67-year-old Kasserra admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 18 months, suspended for two years. He said he was unable to forget the consequences of his ‘error and panic’. The two badly injured victims were among a group of of five girls from Bristol who had chosen to celebrate their excellent exam results in the quiet fishing village rather than going to loud and popular Newquay, the court heard. Both girls - Natalie Palmer and Victoria Vipond - had been keen sportswomen, however both have been left incapacitated after suffering severe leg injuries. The impact also broke Natalie's neck. In a victim impact statement Victoria said she cannot wear shoes, has had a toe amputated, uses crutches and has had skin grafts to cover unsightly holes in her shin and foot. She has not been able to go back to school and has not been able to continue with her love of tap and jazz dancing. Wheelchair bound Natalie, who could have died three times from her injuries, has to wear a neck brace, spends most of her time in bed and needs her parents help to do basic tasks. Haunted by his 'error and panic': At Exeter Crown Court today, 67-year-old Kasserra admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 18 months, suspended for two years . Prosecutor Eleanor Perkiss said: 'This is a tragic case for all concerned.' She said Kasserra kept pressing the wrong pedal with his foot and the camper van was gaining speed down the hill for 20 seconds before the awful impact next to a pub and tea room in the quiet seaside fishing village. She said Kassera, a former engineer, who was with his wife Evelyn in the van, failed to sound his horn to warn passers-by and other road users. Miss Perkiss said he struck a stone wall, which disintegrated. The van became airborne and struck the girls before coming to rest on an open culvert - which prevented it ploughing into a tearoom. She said Kassera was used to driving the van over nine years throughout Europe but in his panic he kept pressing the wrong pedal and van gained more speed and went out of control. Defence barrister Adrian Chaplin said: 'He went to brake for the bend but he made the error that continued, fuelled by panic, as he progressed down the hill. 'It was a failure to press the right pedal. There was nothing wrong with the vehicle. At no stage was he driving dangerously deliberately.' Kasserra's Fiat Advantage after the crash: Natalie Palmer and Victoria Vipond had been keen sportswomen, however both have been left incapacitated by severe leg injuries. The impact also broke Natalie's neck . Kassera, from Lower Saxony, said his wife screamed at him to apply the handbrake, but the court heard this might have been an even more dangerous manoeuvre. The judge, Recorder William Andreae-Jones QC, said: 'The two girls have suffered an appalling accident through no fault of their own. There can be no doubt, this accident was your fault.' He told the defendant he had no previous convictions, admitted his guilt at the first opportunity, was full of remorse and said drink or drugs played no part in the morning accident in July. The court heard that both Kassera and his wife were hurt in the crash. Judge Andreae-Jones told Kasserra: 'It was an appalling accident which just happened because you lost your head. You were pressing the wrong pedal and panicked. ' He jailed the German for 18 months, suspended for two years, banned him from driving for five years and ordered him to pay £1,000 court costs. The judge said his insurance company would sort out compensation for the injured girls as they continue their long journey towards recovery. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
runaway camper van left two girls badly hurt were out celebrating their GCSE results. At suspended for two years. He said he was unable to of causing serious injury by dangerous driving