An off-duty NYPD officer who was reportedly getting her nails done for a wedding has been identified as one of the four people killed when an alleged drunk driver crashed his minivan into a nail salon on Long Island on Friday.
Emilia Rennhack, 30, lived in Brooklyn and worked at the Queens 102 Pct., with her husband Det. Carl Rennhack, whom she married in September, according to a Facebook post shared by the Det. Brian “Smiles” Simonsen Foundation
“Our hearts are breaking following the tragic loss of our 102 Pct. sister P.O. Emilia Rennhack in an off-duty incident yesterday,” the Police Benevolent Association also wrote on Facebook. “Please join us in praying for her family, friends and coworkers. Funeral arrangements to follow.”
Police say Steven Schwally, 64, of Dix Hills, had been speeding through a parking lot in Deer Park when he drove his 2020 Chevy Traverse through the front window of Hawaii Nail & Spa around 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Schwally was charged with driving while intoxicated. He was transported to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.
Three women and a man were pronounced dead at the scene and eight females and one man were transported to various local hospitals. The names of the other victims have not been released.
Fire officials responding to the crash said Schwally was semi conscious when his vehicle came to a stop nearly at the back of the store, which is located in a strip mall.
“It’s horrible, it’s going to be tough for the community ... tough for the volunteer fire department, but we’re going to get through it,” Deer Park Fire Department Assistant Chief Dominic Albanese said in a news conference Friday evening.
“(It’s) just a horrible thing to see especially at this time of the year with all the good things happening, graduations and what not.”
Witnesses described the chaotic scene to ABC7 New York.
“Somebody saw that the man was driving and he came from this parking lot from Kohl’s and he was trying to pass somebody, and then they pretty much ran right into the nail salon and you could hear people screaming and yelling,” Danielle Tanis told the new outlet.
One of the salon’s customers was stunned by what happened.
“Yesterday I did my nails,” Valerie Fisher said.
“Look, yesterday I did my manicure and pedicure. My heart dropped because life is so fragile. Life is so so fragile.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office said Schwally, who remained hospitalized Saturday morning, will be arraigned at a later time.
