Four people, including a New York City Police Department officer, were killed after an alleged drunk driver drove through a Long Island nail salon on June 28. The shocking ordeal was caught on video.
Videos by Suggest
The owner of the Long Island nail salon, Hawaii Nails & Spa, in Deer Park, posted the terrifying video on its Instagram account on Wednesday, July 10. “Drunk driving? Or was it an intentional murder?” the caption reads. “I want to bring back the truth that we‘ve been wondering what’s wrong with this society.”
The video shows the moment a 2020 Chevy Traverse roared through the parking and went airborne before crashing right into the nail salon at approximately 4:42 p.m. One man walking to his car managed to avoid being hit as he headed to his vehicle close to the salon’s entrance.
The owner also stated that the alleged drunk driver has a record of being behind the wheel while intoxicated. “Why can‘t we properly supervise him and let him out to cause tragedy again? How much pain must the deceased bear? How unfair is this?”
NEW: Off-duty NYPD officer passes after a drunk driver slammed into a nail salon in Long Island.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 10, 2024
64-year-old Steven Schwally was arrested and charged with DWI after he slammed his car into the salon.
A total of 10 people were injured in the crash and four others were… pic.twitter.com/ZydhfT2x0i
The owner further they and their team hoped that the law severely punish the “murderer” for the four people’s deaths. “He must pay for what he has done,” they then added.
According to CBS News, the victims were identified as Meizi Zhang, Yan Xu, Jiancai Chen, and off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack. The alleged drunk driver was identified as 64-year-old Steven Schwally. He somehow survived and was among the additional 10 people hospitalized.
Schwally has so far been charged with DWI. However, additional charges are expected to be filed. He will also be back in court on July 19.
The Crash Complaint Reveals the Alleged Drunk Driver Had ‘Bloodshot and Glassy Eyes’ and Slurred Speech
In the crash complaint obtained by CBS News, the alleged drunk driver, Steven Schwally, reportedly had “bloodshot and glassy eyes,” slurred speech, and “a smell of alcoholic beverage emanated from his breath” while he was being interviewed by police following the crash.
Schwally allegedly told police that he had 18 beers the night before the crash. However, he claimed he stopped drinking at 3 a.m.
“He has to pay for what he did. I don’t think just drunk driving,” Steven Chen, the brother of one of the victims and the co-owner of the salon, Jincai, stated. Steven also said his sister-in-law, Wen Jun, was at the salon when the crash occurred. She remains in critical condition.
Recalling how he found out about his brother’s death, Steven said he received a phone call from the hospital at 5 a.m. the next day. “They found the bleeding internally, so they asked my permission,” Steven recounted. “And I said, yes, go ahead. My older sister and me, we wake up and run to the hospital.”
Schwally notably had a prior DWI conviction from 10 years ago. He is currently being held on a $1 million bail.