A Rabbi ran over two people and crashed into the front of a pharmacy while helping a woman to park her car, a court heard.
Ralph Berisch, 75, claims he mixed up the accelerator and brake pedals as he got behind the wheel of the Jaguar, sending the vehicle suddenly forward on to the pavement in Golders Green.
He is on trial at Harrow crown court accused of seriously injuring the two men who were struck in the incident in March 2018.
Nicholas Alexander, prosecuting, told the jury how victims David Richards, who had just visited his children at nursery, and 79-year-old Simon Elkouby were “going about their business” when the car suddenly lurched towards them.
“[Mr Richards] describes hearing an extremely loud revving of an engine and being struck from behind,” he said. “He was on the bonnet of the car and thinking he was going to die.”
Mr Elkouby, who was using a walking stick, is seen on dramatic footage shown in court spotting the Jaguar coming towards him but not having time to move to safety.
“You will see on the CCTV he tried to move out of the way but the car is moving at speed,” said Mr Alexander.
“The car collides with him and he is carried into the front window of the pharmacy.”
Both men ended up in the front of the wrecked pharmacy in Golders Green Road, with Mr Elkouby suffering serious injuries and Mr Richards sustaining 13 leg fractures.
Following the crash, Berisch, who lives in Golders Green, told police that he had been doing a good deed by helping a woman he knew to park her car.
“I put the car in drive, I don’t know what happened. It took off, I couldn’t control it,” he said.
This video contains footage some may find distressing.
Berisch, who also crashed into a rubbish bin and a metal bollard as he accelerated to 20mph on the pavement, denies two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The trial continues.
