Trial begins for driver in Deer Park nail salon crash that killed 4 people

The man accused of ramming his car into a Long Island nail salon while drunk and killing four people appeared in court for opening statements in his trial Monday. 

Steven Schwally does not deny causing the horrific crash nearly two years ago at the Hawaii Nail and Spa in Deer Park, which he faces more than a dozen charges for, but he does deny being intoxicated at the time. 

Prosecutors told jurors the Dix Hills man made his nearly daily stop at a liquor store on June 28, 2024 to buy two bottles of Long Island iced tea, before he was seen on surveillance video barreling through a parking lot at 78 miles per hour and ramming into the business on Grand Avenue "like a missile, with such velocity, obliterating everything in its way." 

Schwally's blood-alcohol level was .17, more that twice the legal limit, prosecutors said. 

The crash killed salon owner Jiancai Chen, 37, and two employees, Meizi Zhang, 50, and Yan Xu, 41. Off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, a 30-year-old newlywed to a detective, also died. Nine people, including a 12-year-old girl, were hospitalized. Schwally was also injured. 

Schwally, who's charged with depraved indifference murder, entered the courtroom sporting a new haircut and using a walker. He stared straight ahead, avoiding looking at prosecutors and the jury. 

Schwally's attorney apologized for his client causing the crash and called him a handicapped driver whose right leg locked up on the gas pedal.

"He was not intoxicated, and from Day 1 we said he had a problem with his leg and he could not remove his leg from the gas pedal," said defense attorney Christopher Cassar. 

Schwally's defense also claimed a video of the crash shows he tried to avoid the accident and that his blood alcohol test was inaccurate.

"That's contaminated," Cassar said. 

If convicted, Schwally faces up to 27 years to life in prison. He turned down a 22-years-to-life plea deal.