Incident location, Long Island
Zhang; and Emilia Rennack, a 34-year-old off-duty NYPD officer. Nine additional people were injured in the crash. ---FAQ--- Q: What charges does Steven Schwally face? A: Steven Schwally faces a 30-count indictment, which includes four counts of murder in the second degree. If convicted on the top charges, he faces 25 years to life in prison. ---FAQ--- Q: What was Steven Schwally’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash? A: According to prosecutors, Schwally’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was .17 at the time of his arrest — more than twice New York’s legal limit of .08. Prosecutors also say video showed him purchasing alcohol in the hours before the fatal crash. ---FAQ--- Q: Why wasn’t Steven Schwally in the courtroom during jury deliberations? A: According to his attorney, Schwally suffered a heart attack more than a week before jury deliberations began on June 3, 2026, which kept him out of the courtroom during the proceedings. ---FAQ--- Q: How fast was Schwally’s vehicle traveling when it struck the nail salon? A: Prosecutors say surveillance video captured Schwally’s Chevy Traverse plowing through the front glass doors of the Hawaii Nail Spa at 78 miles per hour, striking employees and customers who were inside at the time.
What Happened
A jury began deliberating Wednesday in the second-degree murder trial of Steven Schwally, 66, the man accused of driving his SUV into a Deer Park nail salon at 78 miles per hour in June 2024, killing four people and injuring nine others, according to ABC7 New York. The jury, seated in Riverhead, began its deliberations at 11:30 Wednesday morning and requested additional clarification on the charges twice throughout the day before adjourning for the night.
The deadly crash occurred in June 2024 at the Hawaii Nail Spa, where surveillance footage captured the terrifying scene as Schwally’s Chevy Traverse smashed through the front glass doors of the business while employees and customers were seated inside. ABC7 New York reports the vehicle was traveling at 78 miles per hour at the moment of impact. The force of the collision was so violent that the four bodies of those killed were found trapped beneath the SUV.
Four people lost their lives in the crash. They were identified as Ken Chen, the owner of the Hawaii Nail Spa; Yan Xu and Meizi Zhang, both employees of the salon; and Emilia Rennack, a 34-year-old off-duty NYPD officer who was inside the business at the time. Nine other individuals sustained injuries as a result of the collision, according to ABC7 New York. The loss of an active member of the NYPD community — even while off duty — drew widespread attention to the case from the moment it unfolded.
Prosecutors contend that Schwally was highly intoxicated at the time of the crash. According to the prosecution, his blood alcohol content (BAC) registered at .17 — more than twice New York State’s legal limit of .08. Responding officers and investigators observed that Schwally’s speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot, and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol at the time of his arrest. Surveillance video, prosecutors say, shows Schwally purchasing alcohol in the hours leading up to the fatal crash, further bolstering the state’s timeline of intoxication.
Schwally, who is 66 years old, is facing a sweeping 30-count indictment. The most serious charges are four counts of murder in the second degree — one for each victim killed. Deliberations are set to continue Thursday morning. Notably, Schwally was absent from the courtroom throughout the deliberation proceedings on Wednesday. His attorney informed the court that Schwally suffered a heart attack more than a week before deliberations commenced, preventing his presence during this critical phase of the trial.
The jury’s two requests for additional clarification on the charges signal the complexity of the legal questions before them, particularly around the second-degree murder counts, which in New York can be applied in cases involving what prosecutors characterize as a depraved indifference to human life. If convicted on the top charges, Schwally faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place at the Hawaii Nail Spa in Deer Park, a hamlet in Suffolk County on Long Island, with the trial being conducted in Riverhead, the county seat of Suffolk County. Deer Park is a densely populated residential and commercial community along Suffolk County roads where storefronts and strip mall-style businesses line major corridors — making a vehicle striking a commercial building at highway speed an extraordinarily catastrophic event. Riverhead regularly serves as the venue for high-profile Suffolk County criminal proceedings. For more on traffic and safety conditions across Suffolk County towns, Long Island Traffic maintains ongoing coverage of incidents throughout the region.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Schwally was indicted on a 30-count indictment, the cornerstone of which is four counts of murder in the second degree — one count corresponding to each of the four victims killed in the June 2024 crash, according to ABC7 New York. Prosecutors built their case around the surveillance footage of the crash itself, video of Schwally purchasing alcohol prior to the incident, and the physical evidence collected at the scene of his arrest — including his .17 BAC reading, slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and the smell of alcohol on his breath. The jury began deliberating at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, and twice asked the court for clarification on the charges before breaking for the evening. Deliberations are scheduled to resume Thursday. Should Schwally be found guilty on the top charges, he faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Broader Impact
In New York State, second-degree murder charges in DWI-related fatalities — pursued under the theory of depraved indifference to human life — are among the most serious charges a drunk driving defendant can face, and a conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 15 to 25 years depending on judicial discretion, with a maximum of life in prison. The Schwally case underscores the severe criminal exposure under New York Penal Law that can accompany a BAC of .17 and a vehicle used at highway speed in a populated commercial area. Long Island Traffic’s accidents archive contains ongoing coverage of fatal DWI incidents across Nassau and Suffolk counties.