Driver admits drinking 18 beers before fatal Long Island crash

The driver accused of crashing his SUV into a nail salon in Long Island, resulting in four deaths and nine injuries, admitted to police he had consumed 18 beers the previous night, as reported by CNN affiliate WABC.

The Suffolk DA releasing new video of
an alleged drunk driver before he crashed into a Deer Park nail salon, killing four people. Steven Schwally faces 38 new charges including 2nd degree murder #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/pKqgMO2kkL

— Pei-Sze Cheng (@PeiSzeCheng4NY) August 1, 2024

Steven Schwally, 64, was intoxicated when he drove into Hawaii Nail & Spa. First responders noted a strong smell of alcohol on Schwally, with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, according to court documents.

Schwally, a resident of Dix Hills, appeared in Suffolk County Court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to a DWI charge. The court set his bail at $1 million cash or $2 million bond, per online court records.

During the arraignment, a prosecutor mentioned Schwally had stopped drinking at 4 a.m. on Friday, WABC reported.

According to online court records, Schwally is represented by Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, which has not commented on the case.

The victims of the incident at the nail salon were Jiancai Chen, 37, Yan Xu, 41, Meizi Zhang, 50, and Emilia Rennhack, 30, according to Suffolk County police.

Video obtained by @Newsday of Steven Schwally allegedly purchasing alcohol at the liquor store next door to a nail salon where he would crash his SUV 5 1/2 hours later, killing four pic.twitter.com/0ag5nDJvA0

— Grant Parpan (@GrantParpan) August 1, 2024

Rennhack, an off-duty NYPD officer, was at the salon for a manicure in preparation for a colleague’s wedding, as stated on the law enforcement crowdsourcing website Fund the First, which aims to raise funds for her family.

Vincent Zheng, Chen’s nephew, informed CNN that his uncle was the manager of Hawaii Nail & Spa and was working with Xu and Zhang on that day.

Chen is survived by his wife, who was also injured in the crash, and two children, as noted on a GoFundMe campaign started by Zheng.