Deadly Long Island Nail Salon Crash: Driver Arrested for DUIDeadly Long Island Nail Salon Crash: Driver Arrested for DUI Tragedy struck Deer Park, Long Island, on Friday when a minivan crashed into a nail salon, killing four people and injuring at least nine. The driver, identified as 64-year-old Steven Schwally, was arrested for driving under the influence. According to officials, Schwally was speeding when he crashed into the Hawaii Nail & Spa around 4:30 p.m. Witnesses reported that the minivan drove through a parking lot and then around another car before crashing straight into the salon. The impact was so severe that the van nearly exited the salon through the back of the building. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene: three women and one man. Nine others were injured, including one who was airlifted to a nearby hospital. According to Assistant Fire Chief Dominic Albanese, the driver was also taken to the hospital. Rescuers freed several people from the salon before transporting them for medical attention. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. It is unknown whether it was intentional or not, and how many people were in the vehicle at the time. The ages and identities of the victims have not yet been released. Approximately 150 firefighters and first aid personnel responded to the scene. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to be released in the coming days.
Police say the driver of a minivan that crashed into a Long Island nail salon at high speed, killing four people and injuring at least nine, has been arrested for driving under the influence.
Steven Schwally was arrested after Friday’s crash on Grand Boulevard in Deer Park. Officials in Suffolk County said the 64-year-old driver was speeding when he crashed into the Hawaii Nail & Spa around 4:30 p.m.
According to a fire official, the van drove straight through the front of the beauty supply store and nearly came out the other side, citing the high speed.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Deer Park Assistant Fire Chief Dominic Albanese. Three of those victims were women and the fourth was a man, police confirmed.
Nine others were injured, some of which were considered serious. One of the injured was airlifted to a nearby hospital.
The driver is among those taken to the hospital, Albanese said. He said there were others trapped in the salon and had to be freed before they could be taken to hospital.
Witnesses said the vehicle drove through a parking lot across the street, apparently in a hurry to get out of there. The driver then drove around another car stopped at a traffic light, and when the van tried to turn onto Grand Boulevard, it flew straight into the salon.
It was not immediately clear whether the accident was intentional or not, nor was it known how many people were in the vehicle at the time. The ages of the victims were not immediately available and the Albanians could not confirm whether any of the victims were children.
About 150 firefighters and first aid personnel arrived at the scene.
