A drunk driver has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing an off-duty NYPD officer and three other people when he crashed his SUV into a Long Island nail salon. Steven Schwally, 66, was found guilty last month of four counts of second-degree murder and other charges stemming from the June 2024 incident at the Hawaii Nail & Spa salon in Deer Park.
Schwally consumed 18 beers and Long Island iced teas before getting behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Traverse. He was traveling at 78 mph when he struck the salon, killing off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, who was receiving a manicure. Also killed were salon owner Jian Chai Chen, 37, and employees Yan Xu, 41, and Mei Zi Zhang, 50. Nine other individuals, including a 12-year-old girl who required surgery, were injured in the crash.
"Steven Schwally drank until his blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit. He chose to get behind the wheel of an SUV, run four stop signs and speed through a red light, crashing his two-ton vehicle into a room full of people," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney stated. "Four families are now living with the deadly consequences, including the family of an off-duty New York City police officer."
On the day of the crash, Schwally left his motel room and went to a liquor store in the same strip mall as the nail salon to purchase more alcohol. He had a prior DWI charge in 2013. Surveillance footage showed Schwally's vehicle accelerating into the storefront. First responders noted that Schwally smelled of alcohol, slurred his words, and had bloodshot eyes upon extrication from the wreckage. A blood test at Good Samaritan University Hospital later revealed his blood alcohol content to be .17, more than double the legal limit.
Fourteen people were inside the salon at the time of the collision. Witnesses described the scene as resembling "a bomb went off," with debris, glass, and furniture scattered and dust filling the air.
"We have now achieved justice on behalf of these families and survivors who continue to deal with the fallout from the defendant’s decisions," Tierney added.