Suspected drunk driver crashes into nail salon; NYPD officer and 3 others dead

Lina Portman3 days ago

0 1 minute read

DEER PARK, N.Y. (PIX11) — Off-duty New York City police officer Emilia Rennhack has been identified as one of four people killed Friday when a suspected drunk driver crashed into a nail salon on Long Island, officials said Saturday.

Nine other people were injured in the crash on Grand Boulevard in Deer Park, authorities said.

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“The loss of Officer Emilia Rennhack is a tragedy for the entire NYPD,” said DEA President Paul DiGiacomo. “The situation is even more serious for the DEA as we mourn alongside her husband, the inspector. The union will continue to ensure that the Rennhack family has everything they need during this terrible time of need. »

Rennhack and her husband recently got married in September 2023. She was inside the nail salon when Steven Schwally, 64, drove his 2020 Chevrolet Traverse into the building, police said.

Schwally was driving at a high speed when he crossed Grand Boulevard and continued into the parking lot of 794 Grand Blvd., crashing his vehicle through the front window of Hawaii Nail & Spa around 4:32 p.m., police said.

Two other women and a man were also killed, police said. They were pronounced dead at the scene by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office.

All nine injured people were transported to hospitals, including one who was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Schwally, who was also transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, was later charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. He is expected to be arraigned at a later date, authorities said.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

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