Roger Self, 62, has been accused of crashing his car into a restaurant, killing two people this Sunday. The incident occurred at the Surf and Turf Lodge on North 14th Street in Bessemer City, North Carolina, located in Gaston County, which is 30 miles outside of Charlotte. Self’s daughter Katelyn Self, 26, a corporal with the Gaston County Sheriff’s Department, was killed as a result of the crash, according to police. There were four injuries and two deaths in total.
MAJOR ACCIDENT
#BessemerCity
808 N 14th St
Multiple agencies onscene of somebody that crashed their car into the The Surf and Turf Lodge Restaurant bldg, 808 N 14th St, reported at least 1 dead & multiple more injured, info still being gathered, avoid the area & expect delays— Metrolina Alerts (@MetrolinaAlerts) May 20, 2018
MAJOR ACCIDENTAccording to a source from NBC Charlotte, a witness saw a man walk into the Surf and Turf Lodge with his family and after sitting them down, the man intentionally drove his car into the restaurant.
The injured were transported to the hospital via helicopter.
A motive for the attack has yet to be revealed. Although, authorities believe this incident to be domestically-related.
What Happened?
The suspect, Roger Self, is said to have sat his family down at the Surf and Turf Lodge before leaving the establishment and allegedly driving his car into the front door of the restaurant at around 12:04 P.M. The vehicle used in the attack is reportedly a white Jeep SUV. The attack may be on purpose, according to early reports in the Gazette.
Authorities say that the suspect, Self, was driving his vehicle at a high speed when he crashed through the restaurant into the section where his family was sitting.
“I heard a loud boom,” said Caleb Martin, the restaurant’s busser, in an interview with WCNC. “I turned the corner and saw the back of a white car in the doorway. I didn’t know what to do.”
According to Martin, the suspect was a regular customer at the Surf and Turf Lodge. He also told WCNC that the event on Sunday has affected him both mentally and emotionally.
“It’s definitely changed me mentally and emotionally,” said Martin. “I definitely want to help people more in any way I can.”
Katelyn Self is One of the Victims
Katelyn Self
Katelyn “Kate” Self has been identified as one of the victims in Sunday’s crash at the Surf and Turf Lodge. Kate was an off-duty officer with the Gaston County Sheriff’s Department at the time of the attack. Another family member was also reportedly killed in the crash. However, that person’s name has yet to be released to the media.
The Gaston County Sherriff’s Department released a statement regarding the death of one of their officers, Katelyn Self:
“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.”
Who is Roger Self?
Facebook photo of Katelyn and Roger Self
According to Roger Self’s LinkedIn page, he is the president and owner of Southeastern Loss Management, Inc., located in Charlotte, North Carolina. His profile states:
“Roger Self is the owner and President of Southeastern Loss Management Inc. Southeastern Loss Management has been in operation since 1989 and located just outside Charlotte N.C.
He is a licensed Private Investigator, specializing in business losses. Roger has conducted thousands of interviews with employees who have admitted to embezzlement. Roger has the unique ability to obtain information from individuals who have committed an assortment fraud and business crimes.
Roger has solved thousands of cases including cases involving district, regional and store level managers.
Roger has personally recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses that ordinarily would have lost.
Specialties: Interrogation of employees, identifying individuals responsible for theft or fraud in the business community. “