Prosecutors stated during the 64-year-old New York man’s arraignment on Monday that the morning before the crash, he had 18 beers. The man is accused of driving his drunken Chevy SUV into a nail salon, killing four people and injuring nine more.
When detectives from Suffolk County police arrived at the Hawaii Nail Salon and Spa in Deer Park, they discovered Steven Schwally, of Dix Hills, slurring his words and mumbling, with “bloodshot and glassy eyes.”
In addition to having “constricted pupils,” Schwally was reported to have a strong alcohol odor on his breath by the attending officer.
Assistant District Attorney Alexander Bopp of Newsday said that witnesses informed authorities they had heard a “violent explosion.”
“It looked like a bomb had gone off,” Bopp stated in court. “Bodies were everywhere. Several individuals, including two of the deceased, had to be removed from under [Schwally’s] vehicle.”
The owner of the company, Jiancai Chen, 37, and two of his employees, Yan Xu, 41, and Meizi Zhang, 50, were recognized by the authorities as the three persons who died. One 12-year-old girl was among the nine people admitted to the hospital.
Emilia Rennhack, a 30-year-old NYPD officer, was getting her nails done in preparation for a colleague’s impending wedding when she became the fourth victim, passing away from her wounds.
The New York Post said that Rennhack’s spouse, an NYPD detective, was observed crying at Schwally’s arraignment on Monday.
Numerous law enforcement and emergency vehicles may be seen in the scene’s video. When they excavated the shopping complex and hurriedly transported the victims to many nearby hospitals, the authorities taped off a sizable portion of the building.
Read Also: Tragic Car Crash in NYC: Multiple Dead and Injured at Local Nail Salon
The car took off before hitting anything, according to the prosecution. The car did not stop until it got to the far side of the structure, according to police earlier.
According to court documents, the defendant agreed to a blood-alcohol test, but not until almost five hours after the collision. The outcomes were still awaited.
Court documents indicate that on Monday, Schwally, who entered the courtroom in a wheelchair and a hospital gown, entered a not guilty plea to the charge of driving while intoxicated for the first time. He had three options for bond amounts: $1 million cash, $2 million insured, or $5 million uninsured.
Schwally’s lawyer claimed in court that despite having a Dix Hills address on file, he is jobless and most recently resided in a motel.
His next court date is on Friday. It’s conceivable that he will be charged with other crimes.
