A Deer Park man was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years to life in prison for driving drunk and crashing an SUV into a Deer Park nail salon in 2024, killing four people and injuring nine others.
Steven Schwally, 66, received the sentence Aug. 12 after a Suffolk County jury convicted him in June of four counts of second-degree murder and numerous other charges stemming from the June 28, 2024, crash at Hawaii Nail & Spa on Grand Boulevard.
Trial evidence showed Schwally had a blood alcohol content of 0.17%, more than twice the legal limit, and was traveling 78 mph when his 2020 Chevrolet Traverse went airborne before crashing into the salon, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Four people were killed: Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park, an off-duty New York City police officer who was a customer at the salon; business owner Jian Chai Chen, 37, of Bayside; and employees Yan Xu, 41, and Meizi Zhang, 50, both of Flushing.
Nine other people suffered injuries that included fractures, internal injuries requiring surgery, lacerations and contusions.
Prosecutors said Schwally purchased two bottles of Montebello Long Island Iced Tea Cocktail at about 11 a.m. that day from a liquor store in the same strip mall as the nail salon.
Around 4:30 p.m., Schwally drove through the parking lot near Kohl’s and Stop & Shop on Commack Road, swerving around vehicles, entering the opposite lane, ignoring four stop signs and speeding through five crosswalks, according to trial evidence. He narrowly missed two pedestrians near a Kohl’s crosswalk.
Prosecutors said Schwally then drove into the opposite lane to pass a vehicle stopped at a red light and sped through the intersection. His SUV went airborne, crossed Grand Boulevard and entered the strip mall parking lot before smashing through a sign and crashing into the nail salon.
There were 14 people inside the business at the time, including five employees and nine customers.
Investigators later recovered two empty 375-milliliter bottles of the cocktail and one full bottle from the front passenger floorboard of Schwally’s vehicle. Another empty bottle was recovered from the bathroom trash at his room at the Commack Motor Inn, according to prosecutors.
Schwally was convicted June 4 of four counts of second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault, two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault, three counts of second-degree assault, four counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and several additional charges, including driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.
“Four families are now living with the deadly consequences, including the family of an off-duty New York City police officer,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said following the sentencing. “We have now achieved justice on behalf of these families and survivors who continue to deal with the fallout from the defendant’s decisions.”
Schwally was sentenced by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro.
