A suspected drunken driver is accused of killing four people — including an off-duty New York City police officer — and injuring nine others when he plowed his SUV into a suburban New York nail salon.
The horrific crash took place in a Deer Park, Long Island, strip mall when Steven Schwally, 64, allegedly drove through the front window of the Hawaii Nail & Spa after speeding through the parking lot around 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
"It appears that ... a motorist drove through the building, all the way through the building, and we don't know the cause," Deer Park Third Assistant Fire Chief Dominic Albanese told reporters.
Schwally, of nearby Dix Hills, pleaded guilty in April 2014 to misdemeanor driving while intoxicated following a March 2013 arrest in Suffolk County, Newsday reported, citing records.
Schwally was sentenced to probation and a $500 fine and had his license suspended after that arrest, Newsday said.
Those killed Friday included off-duty cop Emilia Rennhack, 30, who was getting her nails done for an upcoming wedding, the New York Post reported, citing unidentified sources.
Rennhack's husband is a New York Police Department detective assigned to the same precinct as she is, The Post said.
An unidentified 12-year-old girl was among those injured, according to the Associated Press.
Schwally was semiconscious when he was pulled from his wrecked SUV and remained hospitalized Saturday with injuries not believed to be life threatening.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated and his arraigment was pending, AP said, citing a spokesperson for Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
Neither the DA's office nor police had contact information for his lawyer.
In addition to Rennhack, those killed were two women and a man.
Seven women, one man and the 12-year-old girl were injured.
They were all rushed to local hospitals, with at least two in serious condition, police said.
Rennhack joined the New York Police Department in 2018 and was assigned to a precinct in Queens.
"Our hearts are breaking following the tragic loss of our 102 Pct. sister P.O. Emilia Rennhack in an off-duty incident yesterday," the New York Police Benevolent Association said Saturday on social media.
"Please join us in praying for her family, friends and coworkers. Funeral arrangements to follow."
Police Commissioner Edward Caban also said, "Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of Police Officer Emilia Rennhack, whose life was taken far too soon," in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
