RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Shortly after the heist of millions of dollars in gold bars, confused drivers told 911 dispatchers they saw uniformed drivers run into the North Carolina highway with their hands bound, motioning for help, according to recordings released Tuesday.
In the longest of the three emergency calls, a male driver describes the chaotic scene after the armed robbery Sunday night. Authorities have said that armed robbers drove up while the truck was having mechanical problems and stole 275 pounds of gold bars worth $4.8 million.
"It looks like they've got some sort of guard uniform on," a caller said of the two robbery victims. "They've got their hands zip-tied behind their backs, and they're out in the road to try to flag people down to call the police."
The caller waits in his car for at least 12 minutes, describing the scene to the dispatcher and waiting for officers to arrive on the scene, according to the recording released by Wilson County authorities. The man tells the dispatcher he didn't feel safe leaving his car, but one of the guards can be heard trying to relate details though his window. It was difficult to hear what the guard was saying on the recording.
The caller said one of the guards told him they were hauling gold, silver and diamonds when they were robbed at gunpoint by three people in a white minivan. The caller describes the guards' vehicle as an 18-wheeler and says he'll wait in his sedan with his hazard lights on for police.
The strange scene around dusk Sunday drew the attention of at least two other emergency callers.
A woman described the guards walking into the road with their hands tied but said she didn't feel safe stopping.
"It's dark, it's raining and they're walking in the middle of the road. I didn't know what to do," she said.
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