GASTON COUNTY, N.C. – Authorities in Gaston County released the 911 call from a deadly crash at the Surf and Turf Lodge in Bessemer City last weekend.
On the call, a woman describes the chaotic scene inside the restaurant, where Roger Self, 62, is accused of crashing into the building and killing his daughter and daughter-in-law on May 20.
“I’m at the Surf and Turf Lodge and a car just came through my restaurant and they just hit people,” the caller said. “My customers. Oh, my God.”
Can't see the audio player? Click here to listen to the 911 call. Self is facing two first-degree murder charges for the death of his daughter, Katelyn Self, and daughter-in-law, Amanda Self. In addition, Self's wife Dianne Self, and his son, Josh Self, were in critical condition as a result of the wreck.
The woman on the 911 call told dispatchers she recognized Self sitting inside his white SUV at the scene and said she knew him and his family well. She had to pause several times during the call as she was overrun with emotion.
“The man who was here that drove the car through the building has been in a mental breakdown, I know him personally, and I think he did it on purpose,” she said. “And it was his family that he drove the car into.”
Earlier this week, Pastor Austin Rammell of Venture Church said Roger Self had been suffering from severe depression and anxiety over the last couple of months.
“About two-and-a-half months ago is when he began to get very honest with the situation,” Rammell said. “His wife, Dianne, reached out to me, he reached out to me, amongst some others.
“We immediately surrounded him and tried to point him towards help. That’s when I began to find out how hard that is. Finding help for mental illness is a talk of itself. If I break my leg, I go to the E.R., if my stomach hurts and I think I’ve got the flu, I call my family doctor. But who do you call when you wake up every morning and you feel like somebody has a gun to your head and they’re going to squeeze the trigger?”
On Wednesday, Self’s family spoke publicly for the first time since the crash.
“We realize the last 48 hours-plus have been difficult and challenging for many more than just our family,” said Monty Self. “We simply say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your family, your prayers, your acts of kindness will be forever remembered by our family and we most definitely treasure your kindness, thoughts and prayers.”
Neighbors are still in shock after learning about the deadly crash.
Marie Brown lived next to Roger Self for almost a decade, and she said his house was a bevy of activity.
"Everything was about the grandkids, and you could hear them laughing and playing and having a good time in their yard," Brown recalled. "You kinda wanted to go over there and join them!"
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