Deer Park, New York – A tragic incident unfolded in Long Island as a vehicle crashed into a nail salon, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to ten others on Friday. The driver, Steven Schwally, 64, was charged with driving while intoxicated after the horrifying crash at Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park.
According to authorities, Schwally was driving a Chevrolet Traverse at a high speed through a parking lot in Deer Park before crossing a roadway and crashing into the nail salon. The vehicle smashed through the front window and traveled nearly all the way to the back of the establishment.
Three women and a man were pronounced dead at the scene. The victims were identified as Jiancai Chen, Emilia Rennhack, Yan Xu, and Meizi Zhang. Rennhack, a 30-year-old off-duty New York police officer assigned to the 102nd precinct, was among those tragically killed in the incident.
Ten individuals, including Schwally, were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Schwally, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, remains hospitalized and has been charged with Driving While Intoxicated.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams extended his deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Officer Rennhack, acknowledging the loss of a dedicated public servant. Suffolk County Police detectives are urging anyone with information about the crash to come forward, as the investigation into the tragic incident continues.