The Long Island mother accused of killing her young son in a wrong-way crash while she was driving high on methamphetamines had her license suspended for the 57th time during her arraignment Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors said.
Suffolk County Judge Richard I. Horowitz ordered the suspension of Kerri Bedrick’s driver’s license until the conclusion of the case and held the 32-year-old in custody without bail after she pleaded not guilty to murder charges during her arraignment.
Bedrick’s license was already suspended on Aug. 22 when she drove the wrong way on the Southern State Parkway around 2:15 a.m. and caused a four-car wreck that killed her 9-year-old son, authorities said.
A deputy sheriff tried to pull over Bedrick when he initially spotted her going the wrong way, but she went faster and drove around the deputy’s vehicle, prosecutors said.
The deputy trailed her for more than five miles in a westbound lane from a safe distance as she reached 100 miles per hour into oncoming traffic in eastbound lanes, prosecutors said.
Mom Kerri Bedrick, a 32-year-old from Centerport, Long Island, had her driver’s license suspended 56 times prior to a fatal wrong-way crash on August 22, 2024. The crash occurred on the Southern State Parkway, where Bedrick was driving her 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse SUV in the wrong direction (eastbound in the westbound lanes) around 2:15 a.m. Her 9-year-old son, Eli, was a passenger in the back seat and tragically died in the crash.
Background
Bedrick had a history of driving under the influence (DUI) and had been arrested twice previously for DWI, including one incident in 2012 where she attempted to flee from police. Her license had been suspended multiple times, with a total of 56 suspensions prior to the fatal crash.
Incident Details
On the night of the crash, Bedrick was found to be under the influence of methamphetamine, which her lawyer claimed was prescribed to her. A prescription bottle with the name label peeled off was discovered in her vehicle. Bedrick’s blood tested positive for the drug.
Charges and Legal Status
Bedrick was indicted on multiple charges, including:
- Depraved indifference murder
- Manslaughter
- Aggravated vehicular homicide
- Aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child
She pleaded not guilty to the charges during her arraignment on September 4, 2024. Bedrick was held without bail and her license was suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the case.
Key Statistics
- 9-year-old son, Eli, killed in the crash
- 56th license suspension prior to the fatal crash
- 2 prior DWI arrests, including one in 2012 where she attempted to flee from police
- Methamphetamine detected in Bedrick’s blood
- Prescription bottle with peeled-off label found in her vehicle
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