Off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack was one of four people killed when a vehicle crashed into a Long Island nail salon on Friday.
Rennhack was at Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park getting her nails done for a colleague’s wedding when 64-year-old Steven Schwally drove his car into the building.
Schwally was charged with DWI and he may face additional charges after the case is presented to a grand jury.
Rennhack worked 102nd Precinct in Queens, where she met her husband Detective Carl Rennhack. The two had just gotten married in September.
“Officer Rennhack dedicated her life to serving and protecting our community with bravery, compassion, and unwavering commitment. Her sacrifice and dedication will never be forgotten,” the 102nd Precinct wrote on Facebook.
Rennhack graduated from police academy in 2018, where she also received a physical fitness award. She began working in the precinct’s domestic violence unit in 2021. Through her role in the unit, the precinct said she made a “positive impact” on families in the community.
“She was looked up to by members of the community and her fellow brothers and sisters of the 102 Precinct,” the precinct said.
Rennhack immigrated to the U.S. from Poland at the age of 12. It was her dream to become a police officer, according to the precinct.
A fundraiser for her husband, his family and her family is being held on FundtheFirst.com.
“In this difficult time, we are coming together and hoping you will as well, to support Carl and Emilia’s family with the unexpected funeral expenses, assist with their travel to Poland so Emilia’s family and friends in Poland can say their final goodbyes and honor her memory in the place she called home,” the fundraiser reads. “We also want to make sure that her parents, who have already experienced more heartbreak than any parent should, are able to withstand the loss of Emilia’s financial support.”
Visitation for Rennhack will be held at New Hyde Park Funeral Home on Friday from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Her funeral will be held the next day at New Hyde Park Funeral Home at 12 p.m. A private cremation will follow.
The other three people killed in the crash were 37-year-old Jiancai ‘Kenny’ Chen, 41-year-old Yan Xu and 50-year-old Meizi Zhang.
Chen was the manager of the nail salon, according to a GoFundMe set up by a family member. His wife was critically injured as well. They have 10-year-old and 5-year-old children.
“With the shop completely destroyed and their mother suffering from critical back and hip injuries, the family has lost their only source of income,” Vincent Zheng wrote on the fundraiser.
Xu and Zhang were employees at the salon.
Xu’s family also made a GoFundMe to raise money for her elderly father and 12-year-old son with polio.
“”Me and her family [members] were shocked and deeply grieved when we got this news. We cannot [believe] that we lost her forever,” Shihua Yang wrote on the fundraiser.
Newsweek requested the arrest affidavit and police body camera footage of the incident from the Suffolk County Police Department. A representative of the department said they cannot release these materials due to the ongoing investigation.
