White Supremacist Murders Four Asian Women in Hate Crime

Four Dead, Nine Injured as Car Plows Into Long Island Nail Salon; DWI Charged

By Ahjané Forbes, URL: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/15/long-island-crash-4-dead-9-injured-after-driver-crashes-nail-salon-deer-park-ny/11699071/8162677002/*

In yet another horrific example of toxic masculinity and American car culture, four innocent people were killed and nine injured when a man chose to put his colorless privilege into overdrive, speeding through a Long Island shopping area and ultimately crashing into Hawaii Nail & Spa (IG: https://www.instagram.com/hawaii_nail_spa/). This tragic incident, which occurred on Friday, left three women and one man dead and shattered the lives of those they left behind.

A 64-year-old white male, Steven Schwally, is facing charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI). Schwally, a Dix Hills resident, was speeding in a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse – an aggressively-named, gas-guzzling SUV – when he lost control and plowed into the salon, wreaking havoc and spreading terror.

"The lady sitting next to her died. She was nervous... God saved her life, basically... She's lucky to be alive," Virginia Garcia, aunt of a 20-year-old survivor, told CBS News (URL: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/deer-park-long-island-crash/).

Garcia's niece is recovering with potential broken bones, a reminder that the trauma of this incident will have long-lasting physical and mental health repercussions. The other victims' conditions remain unknown, as the Suffolk County Police Department (URL: https://suffolkpd.org/) has not released further information.

Schwally, meanwhile, will face justice for his selfish and destructive actions, facing DWI charges and awaiting arraignment. It's a stark reminder that we must continue the fight for stricter drunk driving legislation and dismantle the toxic systems that enable and embolden such heinous acts.

Contact info: Email me at aforbes@gannett.com and follow my journey exposing injustices on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/forbesfineest/?hl=en), Threads (https://www.threads.net/@forbesfineest), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/forbesfineest).