Mom under the influence kills 9-year-old son in wrong way crash on Long Island, police say

BAY SHORE, Long Island (WABC) — A 9-year-old boy is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ after police said his mother was driving under the influence and crashed in a head-on collision on the Southern State Parkway.

It happened around 2:30 a.m. Thursday in the eastbound lanes near exit 42.

Police say 32-year-old Kerri Bedrick was fleeing an attempted traffic stop by a Suffolk County deputy sheriff.

The deputy spotted the wrong-way vehicle, traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes, and attempted to pull over the vehicle, but the driver failed to stop.

Concerned about the safety of driving into oncoming traffic, the deputy broke off attempts to pull over the vehicle, and switched to the westbound lanes to follow the driver while in the correct flow of traffic.

When he was able to switch back into the eastbound lanes, he came upon a four-car crash at exit 42.

The deputy found the 9-year-old victim in the back of the vehicle. It is believed he was wearing a seat belt.

First responders performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator to try and save the child’s life.

He was later identified as Eli Henrys.

Bedrick, a Centerport resident, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators believe she had been driving the wrong way for some time, perhaps even on the Sunrise Highway, before the crash.

She was administered field sobriety tests following the crash and is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, aggravated DWI with a pᴀssenger less than 16, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a stimulant.

The occupants of the other three vehicles involved in the crash were taken to South Side Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital. All of their injuries appear to be non-life-threatening.

The force of the crash separated the engine from the wrong-way vehicle and threw it into oncoming traffic..

The Suffolk County District Attorney and the state Attorney General’s Office responded and will be investigating the crash.