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On Long Island, a Suffolk County grand jury charged 32-year-old Kerri Bedrick, of Centerport, with second-degree murder and related charges on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Prosecutors said Bedrick was high on methamphetamine when a Suffolk County Sheriff’s deputy spotted her SUV speeding westbound in the eastbound lanes of the Southern State Parkway at around 2:15 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22.
The deputy chased Bedrick for nearly five miles as she continued driving the wrong way, forcing several other vehicles to veer out of her way, prosecutors said. During the chase, she allegedly reached speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour.
She eventually crashed into four vehicles near exit 42N in Islip, including a Mercedes SUV that was struck head-on. The force of the impact ejected Bedrick’s engine into the nearby woods.
New York State Police troopers and Suffolk County Sheriff’s deputies found her 9-year-old son, Eli, unconscious in the rear passenger seat. He was taken to South Shore University Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
Two other drivers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators found multiple pills in a prescription bottle inside Bedrick’s vehicle, prosecutors said. The name label on the bottle had been peeled off.
Testing revealed that the woman was high on methamphetamine, prosecutors said. According to police, her driver’s license had been suspended 56 times.
“The charges returned by the grand jury reflect the severe nature of the alleged offenses. The loss of life in this incident, particularly that of a young child, is heartbreaking,” said Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney.
“We are committed to seeking justice not only for the child but also for those whose lives were affected and disrupted by this heinous act.”
Bedrick is facing 21 criminal counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, and aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child.
She was jailed without bail and her license was suspended while her case proceeds. If convicted, she faces 25 years to life in prison.
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