Video shows Long Island nail salon crash moment of impact
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. -- The man accused of driving while intoxicated and crashing into a nail salon on Long Island, killing four people, is due in court Monday.
Steven Schwally, 64, is charged with DWI. The charges are expected to be upgraded.
Meizi "Kenny" Zhang, 50, Yan Xu, 41, and Jiancai Chen, 37, and off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, were all killed in Friday's crash. Nine other people, including a 12-year-old girl, were hospitalized, including Schwally.
Authorities say Schwally, of Dix Hills, was behind the wheel of his 2020 Chevy Traverse when it barreled through the parking lot and slammed into Hawaii Nail and Spa.
Deadly crash caught on video
Video posted on social media shows the moment of impact. The brief video shows a side view from a surveillance camera as the vehicle zooms straight into the front of the salon, followed by a cloud of dust shooting out from the inside of the spa.
The vehicle traveled all the way through the building and remained stuck in the back of the salon for hours.
Zhang was the owner the salon. His wife remains hospitalized in critical condition. They have two children, 10 and 5. The family has started a GoFundMe, saying the spa was their sole source of income.
"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 said.
"My heart is just broken. Just living in the community, and alcohol kills everybody," one area resident said.
"It's insane. You would never expect this to happen. They were like family to us, and it's just heartbreaking, 'cause you come here to relax, to spoil yourself, to pamper yourself, and this tragedy happens," customer Patricia Castillo said.
"I just lost a friend of mine's son to alcoholism. It's a disease. There's no doubt about that. But don't get in your car and drive. He killed four people - a New York City cop. She's 30 years old, just married in September. My son's a Nassau County police officer, my stepson. I worry every day that he's out there," area resident Jimmy Punda said.
A candlelight vigil is planned at the spa at 7 p.m. Monday evening.
Rennhack's visitation and funeral is set for this Friday and Saturday in New Hyde Park, the police union said.
Witness describes "horrifying, traumatizing" scene
The crash took place at around 4:30 p.m. Friday, when the salon was filled with customers. Witnesses said Schwally's vehicle swerved as it drove through the Kohl's parking lot across the street.
One witness named Hahn described the moment before the crash.
"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 said. "It was just the most horrifying, traumatizing, upsetting thing I've ever seen in my life."
