North Carolina Man Crashes Into Restaurant, Killing Daughter And Daughter-In-Law
Sixty-two-year-old Roger Self intentionally crashed his white Jeep into a North Carolina restaurant during Sunday lunch, killing his daughter and daughter-in-law, and injuring several others. He was immediately taken into custody by police at the Surf and Turf Lodge restaurant that’s located in Bessemer City, about 30 miles from Charlotte.
Self’s daughter was 26-year-old Katelyn Tyler Self. She served as a deputy for the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office. His daughter-in-law was Amanda Self, who worked as a nurse and was married to Roger Self’s son, Gaston County Police Officer Josh Self.
WLTX-19 reports that jail records indicate Roger Self has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Among those injured were his wife, Diane, and the 13-year-old daughter of Josh and Amanda. A motive is not known at this time.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police spokesperson Rob Tufano said that he did not have an official count of those injured in the incident and indicated that some had been taken by helicopter to the Carolinas Medical Center.
Sheriff Alan Cloninger told reporters that Amanda Self worked as a corporal in the jail for four years. She was off duty when the crash occurred. An emotional Cloninger expressed his sympathy and pain to reporters.
“Tragic, tragic loss of life. I’m asking people just to keep the family in your prayers, and the sheriff’s office, because we’re suffering right now.”
A local paper published a profile on Roger Self in 2017 in which it described him as the owner of a private investigations firm named Southeastern Loss Management that he opened in 1989. Most of the company’s work seemed to be investigating employee wrongdoing for businesses.
Man Arrested After Driving Car into Restaurant, Killing 2 People, Including His Daughter https://t.co/qWCCMFH8OY pic.twitter.com/ojOtVaLm1w
— News19 WLTX (@WLTX) May 21, 2018
Roger Self was known as a “faithful church-going family man,” according to the Gaston Gazette, but had been battling depression that kept him in bed for days on end along with other mental illness for about six months. Some of those close to him have said he had become nearly unrecognizable in the last couple of months. He was paranoid and confided to some friends that he believed he was evil.
His minister, Pastor Austin Rammell, says he spoke with Self for hours on Saturday and saw him Sunday morning with his entire family at church. Rammell said that Self would take Bible verses out of context and misinterpret them. Self shared with him that he was being treated by a psychiatrist and was taking medication for anxiety.
Sheriff Cloninger released the following statement Sunday afternoon.
“Today we lost one of our own, Deputy Katelyn Self, in a tragic incident that occurred while she was not on duty. Katelyn has served the Sheriff’s Office for four years and was a corporal in the jail. Our hearts are broken and we ask for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, not only for Katelyn’s family and friends, but also her brothers and sisters in uniform.”
