Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Kerri Bedrick, 32, of Centerport, was indicted for Murder in the Second Degree, and other related charges, for allegedly causing a multi-vehicle crash that killed her son, who was a passenger in the back seat of the vehicle she drove in the wrong direction of the Southern State Parkway while allegedly impaired by methamphetamine.
“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 District Attorney 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.”
According to court documents and the investigation, on August 22, 2024, at approximately 2:15 a.m., 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 Bedrick’s car as she continued to drive in the direction of oncoming traffic. Bedrick allegedly accelerated and drove around the deputy’s vehicle as he attempted to guide her car safely off the road. The deputy sheriff continued to travel behind Bedrick at a safe distance for more than five miles, as she allegedly reached speeds of approximately 100 miles per hour. Bedrick’s actions caused multiple vehicles traveling eastbound to avoid being struck by veering out of the way of her oncoming car. For safety reasons, the deputy sheriff had to enter the westbound lanes of travel in order to maintain sight of Bedrick’s vehicle while she continued to drive the wrong way on the eastbound lanes of the parkway.
Shortly afterwards, just east of Exit 42N, Bedrick struck multiple vehicles. The crash ended with Bedrick striking a Mercedes GLS SUV head-on. The force of the impact caused catastrophic damage to both cars and ejected a large field of debris across the roadway. The engine of Bedrick’s vehicle was launched into the woods.
When the deputy sheriff who had been following Bedrick and New York State Police troopers approached her vehicle, they observed an unconscious nine-year old child in the backseat passenger seat. The child was removed from the vehicle and attempts to provide life saving measures were taken. The child was later taken to South Shore Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Two other motorists involved in the collision were treated at local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.
Multiple pills were recovered from the defendant’s vehicle in a prescription bottle with the name peeled off. The defendant was later taken to the hospital, determined to be impaired by the use of a drug, and placed under arrest. A review of Bedrick’s driving history revealed that she had 56 suspensions on 8 separate dates.
On September 4, 2024, Bedrick was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz for the following charges contained in the indictment:
- Two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, Class A felonies;
- One count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a Class B felony;
- One count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony;
- One count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the First Degree, a Class C felony;
- One count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony;
- One count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class D felony;
- One count of Unlawful Feeling a Police Officer in the First Degree, a Class D felony;
- One count of Reckless Endangerment in First Degree, 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 Assault in the Third Degree, Class A misdemeanors;
- One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor;
- One count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a Class A misdemeanor;
- One count of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Second Degree 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.
Justice Horowitz ordered Bedrick to be remanded without bail and that her license be suspended during the pendency of the case.
Bedrick is due back in court on October 22, 2024, and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count. She is being represented by Scott Zerner, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James McCormack of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Investigator Kevin Doyle of the New York State Police.
Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.