Deer Park, New York — A Long Island man who drove a speeding SUV into a crowded nail salon while heavily intoxicated has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, more than two years after the devastating crash killed four people and injured nine others.
Steven Schwally, 66, of Deer Park, received the sentence Wednesday, Aug. 12, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
A jury convicted Schwally in June of four counts of second-degree murder along with other charges connected to the June 28, 2024, crash.
SUV Crashed Into Salon at 78 MPH
Prosecutors said Schwally was driving his SUV at approximately 78 mph when he ran through multiple traffic controls before crashing into Hawaii Nail & Spa on Grand Boulevard.
According to prosecutors, Schwally ran four stop signs and went through a red light before the vehicle became airborne and slammed into the business.
Witnesses described the aftermath as resembling “an explosion” or “if a bomb went off.”
Four people died in the crash: 37-year-old nail salon owner Jian Chai Chen, employees Yan Xu, 41, and Meizi Zhang, 50, and 30-year-old Emilia Rennhack, a customer who was also an off-duty New York City police officer.
Nine other people were injured.
Blood Alcohol Level Was More Than Twice Legal Limit
Authorities determined that Schwally was intoxicated when he crashed.
After being removed from the wreckage, he was taken to a local hospital, where officials said he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
A subsequent laboratory analysis found his blood alcohol concentration was 0.17%, more than twice New York’s legal limit of 0.08%.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said Schwally made a series of dangerous decisions before getting behind the wheel.
“Steven Schwally drank until his blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit,” Tierney said. “He chose to get behind the wheel of an SUV, run four stop signs and speed through a red light, crashing his two-ton vehicle into a room full of people.”
Prosecutors Say He Bought Alcohol Before Crash
Investigators also traced Schwally’s drinking to earlier that day.
Prosecutors said he stopped at a liquor store in the same strip mall and purchased two bottles of Montebello Long Island Iced Tea Cocktail.
Investigators later found two empty 375-milliliter bottles and another unopened bottle inside his SUV. Another empty bottle was reportedly discovered in his room at the Commack Motor Inn.
The evidence became part of the prosecution’s case as authorities established how heavily Schwally had been drinking before the deadly collision.
Schwally Appears to Flip Off Cameras in Court
The sentencing hearing drew additional attention when Schwally appeared to flip off a photographer as he was being photographed in court Wednesday, according to NBC4 New York.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Bode addressed the gesture afterward, saying Schwally remained defiant until the end.
“Up until the very end, he actually made a rude gesture to the media today,” Bode said, adding that prosecutors considered him “unrepentant.”
Schwally did address the victims’ families during the hearing.
“I’m so sorry and I hope you can all forgive me,” he said, according to the outlet.
Victims’ Families Speak Out
The sentencing also gave victims’ relatives an opportunity to describe the lasting impact of the crash. Emilia Rennhack’s husband, Carl Rennhack, said his family would never recover from the loss.
“Knowing he will die behind bars is the only comfort we have,” Rennhack said in court.
A statement from Wen Jun Chen, the wife of salon owner Jian Chai Chen, was also read aloud. She said that no verdict could bring her husband back and that no amount of money could restore her children’s father.
For the families, Wednesday’s sentence brought a measure of accountability, but it could not undo the devastating consequences of a crash that prosecutors say began with one man’s decision to drive while severely intoxicated.
Do you think the 25-years-to-life sentence was appropriate for the deadly crash? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
