At the scene Friday night. Photos by HuntingtonNow.com
A Dix Hills man was charged with driving while intoxicated in the crash that killed four people at a nail spa Friday night in Deer Park.
Suffolk County police said four people were killed when Steven Schwally, 64, drove his 2020 Chevy Traverse through Hawaii Nail Salon on Grand Boulevard. Nine others in the salon were injured.
Police said he drove through the parking lot in front of 421 Commack Road, then crossed over Grand Boulevard and continued through the parking lot of 794 Grand Boulevard, where he crashed the vehicle through the front window of the salon at 4:32 p.m.
The salon was open and conducting business at the time of the crash.
Three women and a man were pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Nine additional people were taken to local hospitals; five were transported by ambulance to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, three were transported by ambulance to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, and one was airlifted via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Schwally was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. He will be arraigned at a later date.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852- 6555.
The New York Police Department identified one of the victims as off-duty officer Emilia Rennhack.
The NYPD mourns the loss of @NYPD102Pct Police Officer Emilia Rennhack. She was tragically killed yesterday while off-duty on Long Island. Please keep her family, friends, and co-workers in your thoughts. Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/fRnCubELFB
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 29, 2024
Very terrible. Shouldn’t have happened. There by the grace…