Court Adjourned For Mom Accused Of Murdering Son In LI Crash: Lawyer

BAY SHORE, NY — Court was adjourned on Thursday 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, Justice Richard I. Horowitz announced.

On Thursday, Kerri Bedrick—who's been in custody since the Aug. 22 crash—appeared at the hearing and Horowitz set a new court date for Feb. 20, Bedrick's lawyer, Scott Zerner, told Patch.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney, 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.

According to the indictment, Bedrick was found in possession of the methamphetamines at the time of the crash.

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

Police said that after the collision, state troopers found Bedrick standing outside of her black 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and found Eli in the backseat with a seat belt fastened. In an effort to save his life, law enforcement performed CPR on Eli, but he later died of his injuries, police said.

In September, Bedrick was indicted on 21 charges, 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.

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

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

According to the investigation, at around 2:15 a.m. the day of the crash, 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 in a 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse on the eastbound lanes of the parkway.

When he spotted Bedrick driving the wrong way, the deputy sheriff made a U-turn, activated his lights and sirens and attempted to stop her car as she continued to drive towards oncoming traffic, the DA said.

Bedrick reportedly accelerated and drove around the deputy’s vehicle as he attempted to guide her car safely off the road, the DA said. The deputy sheriff continued to travel behind Bedrick at a safe distance for more than five miles, as she reached speeds of about 100 miles per hour, Tierney said.

Other vehicles traveling eastbound swerved to avoid being struck by Bedrick and the deputy sheriff entered the westbound lanes in order to maintain sight of Bedrick’s vehicle as she continued to drive the wrong way on the eastbound lanes of the parkway, the DA said.

Shortly afterward, 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 force of the impact caused "catastrophic damage" to both cars and ejected a large field of debris across the roadway, Tierney said. The engine of Bedrick’s vehicle was launched into the woods, the DA said.

When law enforcement approached her vehicle, they saw Eli unconscious in the backseat passenger seat, the DA said. After attempts were made to save his life, he was taken to South Shore Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

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

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

A review of Bedrick’s driving history revealed that she had 56 suspensions on eight separate dates, 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.