Long Island nail salon posts deadly crash video, demands justice: 'Murderer,' 'he must pay'
LONG ISLAND - The Long Island nail salon where an alleged drunk driver killed four people, is renewing its call for justice.
"He must pay," the salon posted on Instagram along with a video showing the moments leading up to the crash.
The dramatic surveillance video shows the Chevy Traverse, allegedly driven by a drunken 64-year-old Steve Schwally, going directly into the salon.
Hawaii Nail & Spa, located inside a strip mall on Grand Boulevard, claims the attack might have been intentional, calling Schwally a "murderer."
"Drunk driving? Or was it an intentional murder?" the spa posted on Instagram.
It's unclear who runs the account, but the owner of the Deer Park salon, Jiancai "Ken" Chen, 37, and two nail technicians, Yan "Jenny" Xu, 41, and Meizi Zhang, 50 were killed in the crash.
Ken's wife, Wen Jun Cheng, was one of nine injured in the incident.
The account posted several times in the last week asking for support and demanding justice for those killed.
"I want to bring back the truth that we’ve been wondering what’s wrong with this society... The murderer once had a record of drunk driving," one post read.
"How unfair is this? We hope that the law can severely punish the murderer, and he must pay for what he has done."
Witnesses described the crash as "a violent explosion" that sent "bodies everywhere."
Lawmakers are also demanding life in prison for Steve Schwally, who was charged with driving while intoxicated and held on $2 million bond.
"Throw the book at the selfish bastard," New York State Senator John Liu demanded. "With one action, he selfishly, criminally, and recklessly destroyed the lives of so many families, including one of New York's finest. Throw the book at this guy and put him away forever."
Who is Steve Schwally?
(Pool photo)
Steve Schwally was partially conscious when first responders arrived on the scene, police said.
Prosecutors say Schwally told police he drank 18 beers the night before the crash and didn't stop drinking until about 4 a.m.
The Marine Corps veteran, who was living at local motel at the time of the crash, pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated.
He is due back in court Friday.
Schwally was also arrested and charged with a DUI back in 2014. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years probation.
Hawaii Nail & Spa owner, technicians killed
The owner Jiancai "Ken" Chen, was one of four people killed when an alleged drunk driver plowed into the nail salon he owned on June 28.
The 37-year-old father, the owner of the now-destroyed Hawaii Nail & Spa, lived in Bayside, Queens, and leaves behind two very young children, ages 10 and 5.
"We were such a happy family. Now it’s all crushed," his brother, Steven Chen, said through tears at a press conference.
Doctors estimate that the recovery of Ken Chen's wife will take at least one to two years, according to a GoFundMe page created by his nephew.
"With the shop completely destroyed and their mother suffering from critical back and hip injuries, the family has lost their only source of income," his nephew, Vincent Zheng, wrote.
Yan "Jenny" Xu, 41 was a Xu was a nail technician at Hawaii Nail & Spa who lived in Flushing, Queens.
According to a GoFundMe page, Xu leaves behind a 12-year-old son with poliomyelitis. She also supported her 70-year-old father, who cannot speak English.
"We cannot believed that we lost her forever," her sister Shihua Yang posted to the GoFundMe. "I was hang out with her last week, we talked a lot, and her dreams in the future, but that could not be come ture. Until now, I still think that is a dream. I also hope it was a dream."
Meizi Zhang, 50, a nail technician who lived in Flushing, Queens, also died in the inicident.
"Yan Xu and Meizi Zhang, also victims, were hard-working individuals full of dreams," Harriette Lo, who created a GoFundMe page on behalf of the Federation of Chinese American Associations posted.
Who else was injured?
The crash also killed an NYPD officer and Deer Park resident Emilia Rennhack who worked in the 102nd precinct in Queens and had served on the force since 2018, officials said.
Nine others were hospitalized after the incident unfolded.
Nicole Miele, 54, Ana Garcia, 53, Wen Jun Cheng, 35, and Michael Mehale, 58, are all being treated at area hospitals for serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Carol Garcia, 23, Toni Saccente, 32, Krystal Rodriguez, 37, Nicole Saccente, 55, and a 12-year-old girl whose identity is being withheld, were also treated.