Opening statements began Monday in the trial of Steven Schwally, the Long Island man accused of driving drunk and plowing his SUV through Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park on Jun. 28, 2024, killing four people and injuring nine others.
Prosecutors told jurors that Schwally, 64, made a stop at a liquor store that day to buy two bottles of Long Island iced tea and was recorded on surveillance footage speeding through a parking lot at 78 mph before his vehicle became airborne and crashed into the storefront, striking people inside.
They said his blood-alcohol concentration after the crash was .17, more than twice the legal limit, and described the impact as "obliterating everything in its way," according to CBS News.
The victims killed were identified by authorities as salon owner Jiancai Chen, 37; employees Meizi Zhang, 50, and Yan Xu, 41; and off-duty NYPD Officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, who was having her nails done before a wedding that night, prosecutors and news reports said.
Nine other people, including a 12-year-old girl, were taken to hospitals with injuries, officials reported.
Read more: Gunman Fire 50 Shots Along Cambridge's Memorial Drive, Victims Suffer Life-Threatening Injuries
Schwally faces multiple counts, including four counts of second-degree murder and a lengthy indictment that includes manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide, and numerous assault and traffic-related charges; if convicted of murder, he faces 25 years to life in prison, prosecutors said, News12 reported.
He pleaded not guilty and has consistently rejected plea offers, including a reported 22-year-to-life deal he turned down again in pretrial proceedings.
Jury selection concluded earlier, and opening statements began with multimedia evidence expected to include store surveillance, video of Schwally's movements before the crash, and toxicology results, according to local news coverage.
The trial is scheduled to run for several weeks, with prosecutors and defense signaling they will call multiple witnesses, including first responders, forensic experts, and store surveillance analysts.
Family members of the victims have attended hearings and previously expressed grief and anger in court filings and public statements, where they urged a full accounting of how the crash occurred and why Schwally was behind the wheel.
Judges have set custody and bail conditions previously, and Schwally has remained in custody since the wreck; court records show he was held on substantial bail following his arraignment, as per ABC7NY.
