Terrifying moment accused drunk driver slams into nail salon, kills NYPD cop and 3 others captured in new video
A shocking new video captured the gut-wrenching moment an accused drunk driver slammed into a Long Island nail salon, killing and off-duty NYPD cop and three others — while injuring nine others.
The minivan allegedly driven by accused drunk driver Steven Schwally barrels over a curb, briefly going airborne before it slams at full speed into Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park on June 28, footage posted on Instagram by the account ppv_tahoe on Wednesday shows.
An unidentified man is seen walking out of a neighboring business just moments before the minivan zips past him at astonishing speed right into the nail salon, the video shows.
People from the other store emerge to examine the damage after hearing the loud crash followed by people’s screams, which can be heard in the clip.
The crash killed off-duty NYPD cop Emilia Rennhack, 31, who was having her nails done for a wedding later in the day, and three others — Jiancai Chen, 37; Yan Xu, 41; and Meizi Zhang, 40.
A 12-year-old girl was among those injured in the drunken crash, police said.
Schwally was arraigned on driving while intoxicated charges on July 1 in Suffolk County court — with Rennhack’s newlywed husband, NYPD Det. Carl Rennhack, looking on.
Rennhack was mourned by hundreds at a funeral service in New Hyde Park on July 6.
Prosecutors said Schwally admitted to police that he downed 18 beers in the hours prior to the fatal crash and is being held on $1 million bail pending a return court appearance on July 19.
Earlier records show that Schwally was also hit with a DWI charge in Dix Hills on March 25, 2013.
“The defendant had struck a mailbox in front of 19 Weathervane Way and fled the scene,” a police report from the 2013 mishap reads. “The defendant was located a short distance away at the intersection of Millet Street and Village Drive West.
“The defendant was still seated in the driver’s seat,” the report said. “The vehicle’s keys were still in the ignition, the vehicle’s engine was on and the defendant was asleep.”
Schwally pleaded guilty in the case and was sentenced to three years probation, records show.
