Mom Accused Of Murdering Son In LI Crash Gets New Court Date: Court

BAY SHORE, NY — Court was adjourned on Wednesday for the mother charged with murder after her 9-year-old son died in a car crash when she drove the wrong way under the influence on the Southern State Parkway in August, courthouse staff told Patch.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney, Kerri Bedrick, 32, of Centerport, drove the wrong way while impaired by methamphetamines on the parkway and caused a four-car collision that killed her son, Eli D. Henrys, also of Centerport.

She also had 56 prior suspensions on her driver's license, the DA said.

On Wednesday, Bedrick was ordered to return to court on May 22, according to court docs.

Bedrick, who's been in custody since the Aug. 22 crash, was indicted on 21 charges in September, including two counts of second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, and aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child, among other charges, the indictment said.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges and Horowitz also suspended her license.

Bedrick faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count, according to the DA.

On that fateful night, troopers arrived at the scene and found Bedrick standing outside of her black 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross while Eli was unconscious in the backseat with a seatbelt fastened, police said.

In an effort to save his life, law enforcement performed CPR on Eli and he was taken to South Shore Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

According to the investigation, at around 2:15 a.m., a Suffolk County deputy sheriff was patrolling the eastbound lanes of the Southern State Parkway when he observed Bedrick driving westbound at a high rate of speed on the eastbound lanes.

The deputy sheriff made a U-turn, activated his lights and sirens and attempted to stop the vehicle as she continued to drive towards oncoming traffic, the DA said.

Bedrick reportedly accelerated and drove around the deputy’s vehicle as he tried to guide her car off the road, so he continued to follow her for more than five miles, as she reached speeds of about 100 miles per hour, the DA said.

Other vehicles heading eastbound swerved to avoid Bedrick and the deputy sheriff entered the westbound lanes to maintain sight of Bedrick’s SUV as she continued to drive the wrong way, the DA said.

Shortly after, just east of Exit 42N, Bedrick struck multiple vehicles; the crash ended with Bedrick striking a Mercedes GLS SUV head-on, the DA said.

The impact caused "catastrophic damage" to both cars, ejecting debris across the roadway and launching the engine of Bedrick’s vehicle into the woods, the DA said.

Two other drivers involved in the collision were treated at local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, the DA said.

Numerous pills were recovered from Bedrick's vehicle in a prescription bottle with the name peeled off and she was taken to a hospital, where it was confirmed she was impaired by a drug and placed under arrest, the DA said.

On Sept. 4, Bedrick was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, Class A felonies; one count of aggravated vehicular homicide, a Class B felony; one count of second-degree manslaughter, a Class C felony; one count of first-degree vehicular manslaughter, a Class C felony; one count of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony; one count of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a Class D felony; one count of first-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer, a Class D felony; one count of first-degree reckless endangerment, a Class D felony; one count of aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child, a Class E felony; one count of driving while ability impaired by a drug, an unclassified misdemeanor; two counts of third-degree assault, Class A misdemeanors; one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor; one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor; one count of second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, an unclassified misdemeanor; one count of reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor; one count of operating a motor vehicle without a license, a traffic infraction; one count of operating a motor vehicle without an inspection certificate, a traffic infraction; one count of operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a traffic infraction; and one count of operating an unregistered motor vehicle, a traffic infraction.