Incident location, Long Island
Zi Zhang, 50, both of Flushing, Queens; and off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park. Nine additional people were injured in the crash. ---FAQ--- Q: What charges does Steven Schwally face? A: Schwally, 66, of Dix Hills, is charged with four counts of second-degree murder and other crimes. He has pleaded not guilty. He twice rejected a plea offer of 22 years to life in prison from Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro and faces up to 27½ years to life if convicted. ---FAQ--- Q: What was Steven Schwally’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash? A: Suffolk County prosecutors say Schwally had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.17% at the time of the crash — more than twice New York State’s legal limit of 0.08%. His defense attorney has contested the validity of the blood sample, claiming it was tainted by an alcohol swab used before the blood draw. ---FAQ--- Q: What did Detective Brian Whitehead testify about Schwally’s reaction? A: Det. Brian Whitehead testified that during a 40-minute post-crash interview, Schwally said he did not remember the crash or hearing screams. When Whitehead informed him that four people had been killed, Schwally “looked shocked” and responded with an expletive, according to Whitehead’s testimony before the jury in Riverhead. ---FAQ--- Q: What is the defense’s argument in the Schwally trial? A: Defense attorney Christopher Cassar argued that Schwally’s blood sample was tainted by an alcohol swab used before it was drawn, potentially skewing the BAC reading. Cassar also argued that Schwally could not remove his foot from the gas pedal due to a leg disability — though Schwally did not mention any leg issues during his post-crash interview with the detective.
What Happened
A Suffolk County police detective testified Thursday that Steven Schwally, 66, of Dix Hills, told investigators he had no memory of crashing his 2020 Chevrolet Traverse into Hawaii Nail & Spa on Grand Boulevard in Deer Park — and visibly recoiled when told that four people had died in the destruction he left behind, according to Newsday.
Det. Brian Whitehead took the stand Thursday before the jury in Riverhead, describing a 40-minute interview he conducted with Schwally shortly after the June 28, 2024, crash. Whitehead testified that Schwally remembered the vehicle’s airbags deploying but said he could not recall how his SUV ended up inside the nail salon — and could not remember hearing the screams of the dying and injured. “I told him there were four people killed in the crash,” Whitehead said, testifying under questioning by Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief Carl Borelli. “He looked shocked and then said, ‘I’m [expletive].’” The exchange laid bare the sheer scale of the tragedy that unfolded that summer afternoon, Newsday reported.
Suffolk County prosecutors say Schwally was intoxicated when he crossed from a neighboring parking lot and drove his 2020 Chevrolet Traverse into the Grand Boulevard shop at 78 mph. Prosecutors allege his blood alcohol content measured 0.17% — more than twice New York State’s legal limit of 0.08%. Schwally told Whitehead that he had been drinking until 3 or 4 a.m. on the morning of the crash but said he did not consume any alcohol after waking up later that day, according to Whitehead’s testimony.
The crash killed four people: Jian Cha-Chen, 37, the co-owner of Hawaii Nail & Spa, whose wife worked alongside him at the shop; salon employees Yan Xu, 41, and Mei Zi Zhang, 50, both of Flushing, Queens; and off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park. Nine others were injured. Earlier Thursday, Wen Jun “Joey” Cheng — the widow of co-owner Jian Cha-Chen — told the jury through a Mandarin translator about the moment she learned her husband, whom everyone called Kenny and who was the father of her two children, had been killed. Cheng testified that she struggled to breathe through the dust and chaos that filled the air after the impact, and asked a co-worker if she had seen Kenny. The co-worker, Cheng said, simply cried and shook her head.
Cheng herself suffered catastrophic injuries in the crash. She was transported by ambulance to South Shore University Hospital with a broken rib and injuries to her head, legs, hip, and torso. Doctors told her that her liver and spleen were hemorrhaging blood. Her spleen was surgically removed because physicians could not stop her internal bleeding, she testified. Cheng was hospitalized for two weeks, was unable to stand or walk unassisted even after returning home, and required months of physical therapy. She testified that she still cannot lift heavy objects.
Schwally has pleaded not guilty to four counts of second-degree murder and other related charges. He has twice rejected a plea offer from Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro of 22 years to life in prison and faces up to 27½ years to life if convicted by the jury. Schwally was absent from the courtroom this week; his defense attorney, Christopher Cassar, said he is recovering from a heart attack.
Location & Road Context
Hawaii Nail & Spa sits on Grand Boulevard in Deer Park, a densely developed commercial corridor in Suffolk County. The stretch of Grand Boulevard near the salon is lined with storefronts and shared parking lots serving multiple businesses, making it an area with frequent pedestrian and vehicle traffic throughout the day. According to prosecutors, Schwally’s vehicle crossed from one of those neighboring parking lots before entering the roadway and directly striking the salon — a trajectory that surveillance video released by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office appears to document. Deer Park’s commercial roads have been the scene of multiple serious crashes in recent months; see our related coverage of other recent Deer Park accidents for more context.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Schwally was charged with four counts of second-degree murder alongside other vehicular crimes following the June 28, 2024, crash, and has maintained a not guilty plea throughout the proceedings, as Newsday has reported. The trial, which began May 11, 2026 — see our earlier coverage: Trial begins for driver in Deer Park nail salon crash that killed 4 people — is being presided over by Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro in Riverhead.
Defense attorney Christopher Cassar has raised two central arguments against the prosecution’s evidence. First, he contends that the blood sample used to establish Schwally’s 0.17% BAC was contaminated by an alcohol swab used to sterilize his skin before the draw — a claim that, if accepted by the jury, could undercut the intoxication charge. Second, Cassar argued that Schwally could not physically remove his foot from the gas pedal at the time of the crash due to a leg disability. However, Detective Whitehead testified that during his post-crash interview, Schwally made no mention of any leg condition or physical limitation. The trial is continuing with additional witness testimony scheduled for Friday.
Broader Impact
Under New York State law, a conviction on second-degree murder charges in a DWI-related vehicular death — pursued when prosecutors allege a defendant showed depraved indifference to human life — can carry a sentence of up to 25 years per count. The fact that Schwally faces up to 27½ years to life reflects the cumulative weight of the four murder counts and associated charges, and the twice-rejected plea offer of 22 years to life underscores the gravity with which Suffolk County prosecutors have approached this case. Drivers with a DWI charge on Long Island face escalating penalties; a BAC of 0.17% — more than double the legal threshold — places this case firmly in the most serious tier of impaired driving prosecutions in New York State.