Incident location, Long Island
Zi Zhang, 50, both of Flushing, Queens; and off-duty NYPD Officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park. Nine others were injured in the crash. ---FAQ--- Q: What was Steven Schwally’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash? A: Forensic scientist Kristin Clarino of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office testified that Schwally had a blood alcohol content of 0.17% — more than twice the legal limit — approximately 100 minutes after the crash. She said that level is consistent with a 200-pound person consuming between 6.5 and 9.4 standard alcoholic drinks. No drugs were found in his system. ---FAQ--- Q: What charges does Steven Schwally face, and what is his potential sentence? A: Schwally faces four counts of second-degree murder under a depraved-indifference theory. State Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro denied a defense motion to dismiss those charges on June 1, 2026, though he did dismiss a single assault charge related to one crash survivor. If convicted on any of the murder counts, Schwally faces 25 years to life in prison. ---FAQ--- Q: What is Steven Schwally’s defense attorney arguing? A: Defense attorney Christopher Cassar, of Huntington, has argued that Schwally could not remove his foot from the gas pedal before the crash due to a leg disability, and that prosecutors failed to prove his client acted with an utter disregard for human life. Cassar also challenged the integrity of the blood evidence, questioning whether proper vials and refrigeration procedures were followed by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office. ---FAQ--- Q: Where is Steven Schwally now, and will he be at closing arguments? A: Schwally, 66, has not attended the trial since suffering a heart attack more than a week before June 1, 2026. His attorney said he is not expected to return to court before a verdict as he continues to recover. Closing arguments were expected to begin at some point on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
What Happened
Prosecutors formally rested their depraved-indifference murder case against Steven Schwally, 66, of Dix Hills, on Monday, June 1, 2026, after more than three weeks of testimony centered on the fatal June 28, 2024, crash that tore through a Deer Park nail salon and left four people dead and nine others injured, according to Newsday. Closing arguments were expected to begin at some point Tuesday before jury deliberations can begin.
The crash itself unfolded at 4:30 p.m. on June 28, 2024, when Schwally allegedly drove his Chevrolet Traverse at 78 mph across a busy Deer Park intersection, riding over curbs and sending the SUV airborne before it crashed through the storefront of Hawaii Nail and Spa. The four people killed were salon owner Jian Chai Chen, 37, of Bayside, Queens; employees Yan Xu, 41, and Mei Zi Zhang, 50, both of Flushing, Queens; and off-duty NYPD Officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park, Newsday reported. Nine other people were injured.
The final prosecution witness, Kristin Clarino, a forensic scientist with the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office who has worked in its DWI section since 2005, testified Monday that Schwally had a blood alcohol content of 0.17% — more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% — approximately 100 minutes after the crash. No drugs were found in his system, she said. Clarino told the jury that Schwally’s blood alcohol level was consistent with a 200-pound person consuming between 6.5 and 9.4 standard alcoholic drinks. She further noted that the 375-milliliter bottles of 40-proof alcohol — like the two bottles investigators say Schwally purchased at a liquor store adjacent to the nail salon in the hours before the crash — contain approximately 4.4 standard drinks each, per Newsday.
Clarino described what such a high level of alcohol consumption does to the human body, testifying that at levels above 0.18%, a person enters “a state of inertia.” “You are confused about your surroundings,” she told the jury. Hospital records separately admitted into evidence by State Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro also showed a similarly high blood alcohol level in Schwally’s system, independent of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office findings.
Defense attorney Christopher Cassar, of Huntington, aggressively cross-examined Clarino, questioning whether she and police followed proper procedures during testing. He pointed to departmental policies calling for specific vials to be used to store blood evidence, noting that those vials typically contain an inhibitor that prevents fermentation and stops alcohol levels from rising inside the tube. Clarino countered that she was forced to use blood drawn by hospital staff after police-provided samples did not contain enough blood for adequate testing. Cassar also questioned whether the locker used to store the blood was properly refrigerated as required to preserve evidence. “It is a refrigerated locker,” Clarino shot back. Under redirect examination from Assistant District Attorney Carl Borelli, Clarino said fermentation in a vial is highly unlikely and would require a sample to be stored in high heat for an extended period. “These tubes are sterile,” she said, adding it was unlikely that bacteria could be present in the samples she tested several days after the crash.
Outside the Riverhead courtroom, Cassar told reporters: “They have their own standard operating procedures requiring them to use certain types of tubes … and they didn’t do that,” expressing confidence the jury would identify issues with Clarino’s testimony. When asked whether he intended to present a defense case, Cassar said only, “We will make a determination tonight.” Schwally himself has not been present at the trial since suffering a heart attack more than a week before Monday’s proceedings. His attorney said he is not expected to return to court before a verdict as he continues to recover.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place at the Hawaii Nail and Spa storefront in Deer Park, a hamlet in the Town of Babylon in western Suffolk County. The location sits at a busy commercial intersection — a detail underscored throughout the trial by prosecutors who argued Schwally drove his SUV at dangerous speed through a well-trafficked area in the middle of the afternoon. The liquor store where Schwally allegedly purchased two 375-milliliter bottles of 40-proof alcohol was located directly adjacent to the nail salon, according to trial testimony.
Deer Park has seen other serious accidents in recent months. A separate fatal crash in April 2026 on Deer Park roads claimed the life of an East Northport man in an incident where a medical event was suspected. For the latest road conditions across Suffolk County, check 511NY before you travel.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Schwally, 66, faces four counts of second-degree murder under a depraved-indifference theory of culpability, which requires prosecutors to prove he acted with an utter disregard for human life. On Monday, Justice Ambro denied a defense motion to dismiss those four murder charges, though he did dismiss a single assault charge related to one crash survivor who was not among the roughly 40 witnesses called by the prosecution to testify. If convicted on any of the murder counts, Schwally faces 25 years to life in prison, Newsday reported.
Cassar has argued throughout the trial that Schwally could not remove his foot from the gas pedal before the crash due to a leg disability — a theory prosecutors dispute. The prosecution built its case over more than three weeks with testimony from approximately 40 witnesses before resting Monday. Jury deliberations are expected to begin after closing arguments, which were slated for Tuesday, June 2, 2026. This trial began on May 11, 2026, and has included prior testimony that Schwally appeared surprised to learn that four people died in the crash, as previously reported. Jury deliberations began June 3, 2026.
Broader Impact
Under New York law, a second-degree murder conviction under the depraved indifference statute — the theory applied here — carries a sentence of 25 years to life, a charge typically reserved for conduct so reckless it is treated on par with intentional killing. The Schwally case has drawn widespread attention not only because of its death toll but because prosecutors alleged a defendant purchased alcohol steps from where he would later crash, underscoring how proximity of alcohol retail to busy commercial areas can become a critical factor in DWI fatality investigations on Long Island.