Shocking footage shows moment ‘drunk’ driver crashes into Long Island nail salon, killing four people including NYPD cop preparing for a wedding
The moment a suspected drunk driver plowed into a Long Island nail salon, killing four people, including a New York Police Department officer, was captured on shocking footage from surveillance cameras at the shopping mall where the horrific crash occurred.
The driver of the vehicle, Steven Schwally, 64, of Dix Hills, New York, appeared in court Monday. He has been charged with driving under the influence so far, but more serious charges are expected later.
The salon’s owner, Jiancai Chen, 37, along with two of his employees, Meizi Zhang, 50, and Yan Xu, 41, and off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, were all killed in the crash. Ten others were also injured and taken to the hospital.
The footage shows the van speeding through the parking lot before crashing into the Hawaii Nail and Spa.
The moment a suspected drunk driver plowed into a Long Island nail salon, killing four people, including an NYPD officer, has been captured in shocking footage
The minibus can be seen crashing into the front of the spa on Friday
Suspect Steven Schwally appears Monday for arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip, New York. Schwally was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after authorities say he crashed his SUV into a nail salon on June 28, killing several people and injuring others.
The video shows the shopping center from the side. But even then, the footage of the vehicle out of control is fleeting, with the car driving at considerable speed straight into the storefront. A cloud of dust could be seen shooting out of the spa.
Authorities say Schwally, of Dix Hills, was behind the wheel of his minivan when it sped through the parking lot and crashed into Hawaii Nail and Spa.
The 2020 Chevy Traverse was traveling so fast that the vehicle drove completely through the building before becoming stuck in the back of the salon, which was open and doing business just before the weekend.
Schwally appeared in court in a wheelchair and wearing hospital scrubs. Families of some of the victims were also seen sitting nearby.
Prosecutors said the crash occurred when the driver “accelerated at a high rate of speed” and that Schwally “drove into the opposite lane, nearly striking pedestrians and flying through the air” when he slammed into the crowded nail salon.
Prosecutors say Schwally claimed he drank 18 beers Thursday night but stopped drinking around 3 a.m. The results of a blood alcohol test are pending. He is currently being held on $1 million bail.
Schwally appeared in court in a wheelchair and wearing hospital scrubs. Families of some of the victims were seen sitting nearby
Off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, was killed in the crash on Friday
Rennhack, 30, had stopped by Hawaii Nail and Spa in preparation for another police officer’s wedding later that evening
Jiancai Chen, owner of the Hawaii Nail & Spa salon in Deer Park, was also killed in the crash
A salon employee, Yan Xu, 41, also lost her life in the tragic accident
The crash left four people dead and 10 hospitalized after a minivan crashed into the Hawaii Nail & Spa salon in Deer Park on Long Island, New York.
Prosecutors said when he was spoken to after the crash, he had “bloodshot and glassy eyes” and slurred speech.
âThere was an odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath,â the criminal complaint states, according to CBS News.
This is not the first time Schwally has been charged with driving under the influence, Newsday reports.
In April 2014, he pleaded guilty to drunk driving and had his driver’s license revoked.
Schwally’s brother Edward also claims he has had DUIs before, telling how he put his brother on probation in 2010 or 2011 after he refused to take a breathalyzer test.
The family of the brother and sister of the salon’s co-owners, Jencai Chen, who was murdered, and his wife Wen Jun, who is in critical condition, have set up an emergency plan GoFundMe to help with the costs of caring for their two children, aged 10 and 5.
The spa was the family’s only source of income.
Several customers expressed their sadness when they heard about the accident.
“I just lost the son of a friend of mine to alcoholism. It’s a disease. There’s no doubt about it. But don’t get in your car and don’t drive. He killed four people – a New York City police officer. She’s 30 years old, just got married in September. My son is a Nassau County police officer, my stepson. I worry every day about him out there,” said neighbor Jimmy Punda.
The minivan ended up all the way in the back of the nail salon. It took hours to retrieve it
Video shows chaotic scene in shopping mall with massive police presence last Friday
“They’re the best people. They’re so focused on their family. It’s unbelievable. It’s sad and it’s a great, great loss,” said Mike McClorey of Deer Park, Long Island.
“My heart is just broken. Just living in the community, and alcohol kills everybody,” said one resident of the area.
“It’s crazy. You would never expect this to happen. They were like family to us, and it’s just heartbreaking because you come here to relax, to pamper yourself, to treat yourself, and then this tragedy happens,” added customer Patricia Castillo.
“The loss of a member of the NYPD is especially heartbreaking for the officer’s family and her husband, who, as you probably know, works in the same department and they are newly married,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng.
A candlelight vigil will be held at the spa on Monday evening.