Mom accused of killing son, 9, in Long Island crash expected in court

BAY SHORE, N.Y. (PIX11) – A mother accused of driving under the influence in a Long Island crash that killed her 9-year-old son is expected in court Friday morning.

The four-vehicle crash happened on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 42 around 2 a.m. on Thursday. The mother, 32-year-old Kerri Bedrick, was allegedly driving the wrong way on the eastbound side of the roadway, according to authorities.

An officer on DWI patrol attempted to pull the Centerport woman over, with lights on and sirens blaring, per police. She allegedly refused and the officer drove into traffic on the westbound side in the hopes of cutting her off before she could crash.

Bedrick allegedly then crashed head-on into another car, according to authorities. Police found her standing outside of her Mitsubishi SUV, with her 9-year-old son, identified as Eli D. Henrys, still buckled in the back seat.

Officers started performing CPR on Henrys, according to authorities. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities.

“He’ll have the image of this young boy’s face forever etched in his memory,” said the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Undersheriff John Becker about an officer who responded to the scene.

Bedrick was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, aggravated DWI with a child-passenger less than 16, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a stimulant.

Two other drivers were injured in the crash, according to authorities. They were taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018 . She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here .

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