Driver accused of smashing through Long Island nail salon, killing four people, faces trial

The trial is set to begin for the man accused of slamming his car into a Long Island nail salon while drunk, killing four people.

Steven Schwally, is expected to be in court Monday for opening statements. He is facing more than a dozen charges for the 2024 incident.

Law enforcement said Schwally, of Dix Hills, was driving drunk in his Chevy SUV when he barreled through a parking lot and crashed into Hawaii Nail and Spa in Deer Park.

Meizi Zhang, 50, Yan Xu, 41, Jiancai Chen, 37, and off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, were killed. Ten other people, including a 12-year-old girl and Schwally, were hospitalized. 

Schwally pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and guilty to a DWI charge. 

Prosecutors said Schwally was drinking in the motel room where he lives and inside his car before the crash. He allegedly drove around drunk for five hours, swerving through crosswalks and red lights. 

Video showed Schwally at the liquor store buying two large bottles of an alcoholic Long Island iced tea cocktail.

He allegedly accelerated to 78 mph just before ramming into the salon. 

Surveillance video showed his car going airborne. The engine could be heard roaring as the SUV hurtled across the parking lot.

The car remained stuck inside the building for hours.

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