By Carolyn Thompson
Associated Press
DEER PARK, N.Y. 鈥� A minivan slammed into a Long Island nail salon Friday, killing four and injuring nine people inside the business at the time, a Suffolk County fire official said.
The vehicle came to a stop at the back of the Hawaii Nail & Spa store in Deer Park at about 4:40 p.m.
鈥淭here were people trapped,鈥� Assistant Chief Dominic Albanese of the Deer Park Fire Department told reporters at the scene. 鈥淲e extricated them and transported them to area hospitals.鈥�
The driver was semiconscious and taken to a hospital, Albanese said.
It was not immediately clear whether the crash was accidental or intentional, officials said. Suffolk County Police Department major case unit detectives were investigating, a police spokesperson said.
Photos from the scene showed a gaping hole in the storefront, which is in a strip mall.
Eric Perez told Newsday he was loading groceries into his car across from the accident scene when he heard a speeding car and then a noise that 鈥渟ounded like shattering.鈥�
鈥淚t was a sound that I never heard before,鈥� he said.
As he and his wife were leaving the parking lot, he said, he saw emergency crews removing victims from the scene.
鈥淲e saw the ambulance and emergency workers pulling one body out,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I saw two women I think worked there come out on stretchers.鈥�
About 150 firefighters and medical personnel responded to the crash, Albanese said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 horrible. It鈥檚 going to be tough for the community, tough for the volunteer fire department,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e going to get through it.鈥�
