BABYLON, NY – At least four people were killed and nine others were injured when a driver crashed a van into the front of a nail salon in Long Island, New York, on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The incident occurred at 4:42 p.m. local time at the Hawaii Nail & Spa on Grand Avenue in Deer Park in Suffolk County.
Dominic Albanese, third deputy chief of the Deer Park Volunteer Fire Department, said at a press conference that four people were pronounced dead at the scene and nine were rushed to area hospitals, one of which she was transported by helicopter. Albanese said several people had to be extricated.
“It looks like a motorcyclist drove through the building, the whole way,” Albanese said.
CBS2
The driver was among those hospitalized. The conditions of the injured victims were unknown.
The people who died in the crash were inside the building, Albanese said. No name has been released.
The van remained parked in the back of the saloon for hours, and 150 firefighters and emergency personnel were on the scene, Albanese said.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Nail salon customers among 9 injured victims
At least two of the injured victims were customers of the nail salon.
Virginia Garcia told CBS New York that her 20-year-old niece is among the injured. Garcia says her niece is in a lot of pain and very emotional after the incident.
“The lady sitting next to her died. So she was more nervous because when she saw the other lady die, she said God saved her life, basically… She's actually lucky to be alive ” Garcia said. .
He says his niece probably has some broken bones.
A client who usually has a fixed appointment at 4:30pm on Fridays has changed days this week. He appeared after hearing the news.
“I don't even know who's gone, who hasn't gone. I keep picturing their faces in my head,” said customer Jasmin Darbouze.
Witnesses say the driver was swerving around cars before the crash
Witnesses say the driver was pulling out of the Kohl's parking lot across the street, swerving around cars, before losing control and driving into the nail salon.
“It's not a car crash. It's like glass breaking, it doesn't feel like metal on metal. It's not the same sound,” said witness Eric Perez.
A priest arrived at the scene on Friday afternoon, offering to listen to the victims' families and emergency services.
“If somebody wants to talk, if somebody just wants to have our presence here, that's why we come out,” said Andrea Sampson of the New York State Chaplain's Task Force.
“It's horrible. It's going to be tough on the community, tough on the volunteer firefighters, but we'll get through it,” Albanese said.
