Eli Henrys Obituary, Death – Police allege that 32-year-old Kerri Bedrick was under the influence of methamphetamine when she drove the wrong way on the Southern State Parkway early Thursday morning, resulting in a crash that claimed the life of her 9-year-old son, Eli Henrys, who had familial connections to Staten Island.
Authorities reported that at around 2:15 a.m. on August 22, officers from the Suffolk County sheriff’s office and state troopers were dispatched to the Southern State Parkway near exit 42 in Islip, Suffolk County, to address reports of a wrong-way driver.
Bedrick, a resident of Centerport, New York, was driving a 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross SUV when she reportedly triggered a multi-car collision. Eli Henrys, who was seated in the back of the vehicle and was wearing a seatbelt, did not survive the crash despite efforts to perform CPR. Two other drivers involved in the accident sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were hospitalized, while a fourth driver escaped injury.
During their investigation, police discovered over four grams of pills in Bedrick’s car that tested positive for methamphetamine. Bedrick allegedly confessed to taking the drug before driving with her son in the vehicle.
Further details revealed that Bedrick’s driver’s license had been suspended more than 56 times, and she was operating the vehicle with a suspended license at the time of the crash.
Family members disclosed that Eli’s father, Dean Henrys, a Staten Island resident, had been embroiled in a prolonged custody dispute with Bedrick, and the family had not seen Eli in over four years. Eli’s half-sister, Aniya Henrys, 20, remembered him as a joyful and imaginative child, particularly fond of a cardboard rocket ship. Romeo Henrys, 18, recalled their playful interactions, describing Eli as a “sweet kid.”
Bedrick has entered a plea of not guilty and is currently held on $1 million bail. She faces several felony charges, including aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger under 16, and criminal possession of a stimulant. She also faces misdemeanor charges for operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs and endangering the welfare of a child. Bedrick is scheduled to appear in court later this week.