Accident at Deer Park beauty salon on Long Island leaves 4 dead, 9 injured

Steven Schwally, 64, has been charged with driving under the influence and causing an accident at a Long Island beauty salon.

Authorities said four people were killed and nine injured when a car crashed into a beauty salon in the Deer Park neighborhood of Long Island, New York.

On Friday at approximately 4:32 p.m., Steven Schwally, 64, of Dix Hills, was driving a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse southbound at a high rate of speed in Deer Park. Schwally then crossed to the other side and continued driving through the parking lot. He then crashed the vehicle into the windshield of Hawaii Nail & Spa, Suffolk County police said.

Three women and a man were pronounced dead at the scene when a physician’s assistant from the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office arrived. Eight victims were taken to local hospitals, and one was transported by Suffolk County police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital, police said.

Schwally was also taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. He was charged with driving under the influence and will appear in court at a later date, police said.

At last check, Suffolk County Police did not provide an update on the victims’ status.

Woman arrested: Police say the body was found “wrapped” in a mattress in the backseat of the car

Police have identified the four victims of an accident at a beauty salon on Long Island

The Suffolk County Police Department has released the names of the four victims killed. They are:

Jiancai Chen, 37, of Bayside, Queens,
Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park
Yan Xu, 41, from Flushing, Queens
Meizi Zhang, 50, of Flushing, Queens

Condolences pouring in for fallen New York police officer

One of the fatalities in the accident was a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer.

Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park, was an officer with the 102nd Precinct in Queens. New York broadcast station ABC7NY reported that her husband is also a New York Police Department detective.

“Rest in Peace, NYPD Officer Emilio Rennhack,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said in a Facebook post. “Officer Rennhack was sadly killed by a drunk driver in Suffolk County. Let us remember her service and sacrifice for our safety.”

Another Facebook user wrote that Rennhack was preparing for her wedding before she was murdered.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, my sister in blue was getting her nails done for her upcoming wedding when a drunk driver crashed his minivan into a nail salon,” wrote Veronica Watson Figueroa.

Other officials asked the public to keep Rennhack and the other victims in their thoughts and prayers.

“I express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of New York Police Officer Emilia Rennhack, whose life was taken far too soon by an off-duty drunk driver. We mourn this tragic loss and thank Officer Rennhack for her outstanding service – may she rest in peace,” Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) wrote in a Facebook post. “Please keep Officer Rennhack, the additional victims of this accident and their loved ones in your prayers.”

Customer who was injured in a beauty salon said: ‘God saved her’: Reports

A 20-year-old girl who was a client of the Hawaii Nail & Spa salon is currently recovering from injuries she suffered in the accident.

Her aunt, Virginia Garcia, told CBS News her niece is “lucky to be alive.”

“The lady who sat next to her died. So she was more upset because when she saw that the other woman had died, she thought, God saved her life, basically… She’s lucky to be alive,” Garcia told the TV station.

Garcia also told the news station that her niece may have broken bones.

Ahjané Forbes is a National Trending Team reporter for USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy. Write to her at: [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.