Four dead, 9 injured after suspected drunken-driver crash

June 29 (UPI) -- One man was arrested and is facing charges of suspicion of driving while intoxicated after a fatal crash in Long Island, N.Y., that claimed the lives of four people and left nine others injured.

The minivan slammed into the business located in a strip mall around 5 p.m. Friday, leading authorities to declare a mass casualty event, Deer Park Fire Department Assistant Chief Dominic Albanese told reporters at a news conference.

All four of those killed were inside the nail salon at the time.

Eight people were taken by ambulance to hospital while a ninth was airlifted.

Some of the injured were initially found trapped inside the badly damaged building.

"There were four patients who were deceased upon arrival. We had nine departments total respond and eight ambulance companies, and we had about 150 firefighters and EMS personnel on scene to handle this incident," Albanese told reporters.

The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, passing almost entirely through the single-story building, which is one of five businesses in the commercial complex.

The driver, a 64-year-old man from Long Island, was partially conscious when emergency crews arrived. He was arrested and taken to a local hospital. Suffolk County Police said Saturday the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Before the crash, the vehicle appeared to speed through a parking lot across the street, according to witnesses at the scene.

"It's horrible. It's horrible. It can be tough for the community and tougher for the volunteer fire department, but you know we're going to get through it," Albanese said at the news conference.