grandmother and her three grandchildren.
Richard Seymour Ferguson, Florida father found guilty of vehicular manslaughter for allowing his unlicensed 15 year old son to drive car only for speeding teen to run past a stop sign and kill a Poinciana grandmother & her 3 grandkids.
A Florida father has been convicted of manslaughter after letting his 15-year-old unlicensed son take out his Chevy Impala that later that evening crashed into another car killing a grandmother and her 3 grandchildren.
An Osceola County jury on Wednesday found Richard Seymour Ferguson, 68, guilty of four counts of manslaughter for his role in the 2023 fatal collision which killed Trinidad Hernandez and her grandchildren, aged 1, 9, and 11.
15 year old son was driving past 80 mph an hour when he ran red light killing grandmother and her three grandchildren
The crash occurred on September 3, 2023, around 7 p.m. at the intersection of San Miguel Street and Laurel Avenue in Poinciana, Florida. Investigators said the man’s then 15 year old son, Ri’shard Ferguson ran a stop sign and slammed into Hernandez’s 2022 Honda HR-V crossover.
Hernandez and her 11-year-old granddaughter were pronounced dead at the scene. Her 9-year-old grandson and 1-year-old granddaughter were transported to a medical center, where they later died from their injuries, WKMG reported.
Authorities estimated Ri’shard Ferguson traveling between 76 and 83 mph in the moments leading up to the impact. A witness at the scene estimated the Impala striking the Honda while ‘traveling more than 100 mph.’ Data recovered from the vehicle showed the younger Ferguson had the gas pedal pressed ‘at 100 percent’ just prior to the collision and at 90% at the time of impact, with no evidence of braking.
Florida father claims never giving permission for his son to take car
Ri’shard Ferguson previously reached a plea deal with prosecutors, admitting guilt to multiple manslaughter charges. Under the agreement, he is required to remain in a juvenile detention facility until he turns 19, followed by two additional years on supervised release.
The teen’s attorney said he has taken responsibility for his actions.
The charges against Richard Ferguson centered on his complicity in allowing his unlicensed minor son to drive. According to court documents, the parent ‘knowingly assisted his son’ in taking the car out that evening.
The affidavit detailed that Richard Ferguson moved another vehicle out of the way so his son could access the Impala, and then permitted his son to drive away with three other minor passengers, fully aware that Ri’shard Ferguson did not possess a driver’s license.
Taking the stand in his defense, Ferguson claimed at no point did he give his son permission to take the car according to WESH.
The father said there were guests over, and he asked his son to take the car down the driveway to make room for another car, only to then after realize the teen had driven off. Ferguson said he tried to call his son to tell him to come home, but it was too late.
‘No, nor did I give him the keys. If you listen to all three witnesses, they said I never gave him the keys,’ the father said taking the stand.
One of the teen passengers testified that the elder Ferguson even told the teens to remember to ‘buckle up’ and put their seatbelts on, while recalling the adult failing to make any effort to prevent them from leaving in the car.
A sentencing hearing for Richard Ferguson has not yet been scheduled, as a pre-sentencing investigation report was ordered by the court.
Under Florida law, vehicular manslaughter is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, with a statutory minimum sentence of 9¼ years in certain circumstances. Ferguson now faces 37 years to life in prison.
