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A mother is accused of causing a drunken, wrong-way crash on a Long Island highway that killed her 9-year-old son.
The early-morning wreck happened on the Southern State Parkway, near exit 42 in Islip, at around 2:20 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22.
New York State Police said 32-year-old Kerri Bedrick, of Centerport, was driving an SUV west in the eastbound lanes when she caused a head-on crash involving four vehicles.
When troopers arrived, they found Bedrick standing outside of her vehicle and found her 9-year-old son in the backseat with his seatbelt fastened.
Troopers and Suffolk County Sheriff’s deputies performed CPR on the child, but he eventually died from his injuries.
Bedrick was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip with non-life-threatening injuries.
The other drivers were identified as a 29-year-old woman from Center Moriches a 24-year-old man from Brentwood, who both suffered minor injuries.
A fourth driver, a 64-year-old Brooklyn man, was uninjured.
Speaking at a press conference hours later, New York State Police Major Stephen Udice said Bedrick may have been driving the wrong way on Sunrise Highway before entering the Southern State Parkway.
She ignored a Suffolk County deputy sheriff’s attempt to pull her over just moments before the wreck.
"It was a very severe collision. It was a head-on collision," Udice told reporters. "The damage to the vehicles involved was extensive, and as I said to you before, to give you an idea, the engine from the vehicle, the wrong-way driving vehicle, was thrown, was cut, was severed from the vehicle and thrown from that vehicle landing in the woods.”
Bedrick is charged with the following:
- Aggravated unlicensed operation (felony)
- Operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs (misdemeanor)
- Aggravated DWI with a child under 16 (felony)
- Endangering the welfare of a child (misdemeanor)
- Criminal possession of a stimulant (felony)
She was jailed overnight and will be arraigned in Suffolk County Court on Friday morning, Aug. 23.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact New York State Police at 631-756-3300.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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