DEER PARK, N.Y. — A person behind the wheel of an SUV was drunk and dashing when he crashed into a Long Island nail salon, killing an off-duty New York City Police Department officer and three different folks, police mentioned Saturday.
Suffolk County Police arrested Steven Schwally, of Dix Hills, and charged him with DWI after the crash in Deer Park.
The 4 victims killed in the crash have been recognized as 50-year-old Meizi Zhang, 41-year-old Yan Xu, 37-year-old Jiancai Chen and 30-year-old Emilia Rennhack, an off-duty NYPD officer who lived in Deer Park.
Nine different folks, together with a 12-year-old woman, had been injured and rushed to native hospitals. One particular person needed to be airlifted.
Police say Schwally was amongst these hospitalized. He suffered non-life-threatening accidents. Police say he might be arraigned at a later date.
Witnesses noticed SUV swerving earlier than crash
Hawaii Nail and Spa on Grand Boulevard was busy with prospects round 4:30 p.m. Friday when Schwally allegedly crashed his black Chevy Traverse into the storefront, killing 4 folks and injuring eight others. Schwally additionally suffered minor accidents in the crash.
Witnesses reported seeing the automobile swerving because it left the Kohl’s car parking zone throughout the road from the salon.
“It was just the most horrifying, traumatizing, upsetting thing I’ve ever seen in my life … I couldn’t sleep last night at all,” a witness named Hahn instructed CBS New York’s Kristie Keleshian on Saturday.
Hahn was at a close-by gentle when she says she noticed the driving force pace previous her.
“And I thought, ‘This guy is blowing a light.’ And I had no idea what I was about to see, but I watched him come right across Grand Boulevard and just right into the salon,” Hahn mentioned.
Fire officers say the automobile traveled all over the constructing, remaining caught in the again of the salon for hours after the crash.
Deer Park neighborhood mourns victims killed in nail salon crash
The storefront was boarded up Saturday. Family members of staff gathered objects left behind as longtime prospects tried to console brokenhearted family members.
John Vassallo instructed CBS New York he is been coming to Hawaii Nail and Spa because it opened about 15 years in the past.
“This is a staple here, this nail salon,” Vassallo mentioned.
Customers describe the salon as having a full of life, welcoming ambiance.
“They treated you like family. They didn’t treat you like another dollar,” one buyer mentioned.
“They are the greatest people. They are so family-oriented. It’s unbelievable. It’s sad, and it’s a big, big loss,” Deer Park resident Mike McClorey mentioned.
New York City officers posted tributes to Rennhack on social media Saturday.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban wrote, “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of Police Officer Emilia Rennhack, whose life was taken far too soon. We offer our support to Emilia’s family, friends, and co-workers during this incredibly difficult time. Please keep our officer and her loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
Mayor Eric Adams wrote in half, “It is never easy to get word that we have lost one of our own dedicated public servants — no matter the circumstances.”
