A Central Florida father was sentenced Wednesday to 37 years in prison for his role in a 2023 car crash that killed a grandmother and three of her grandchildren — even though it was his 15-year-old son who was behind the wheel.
Richard Seymour Ferguson, 69, was convicted last October on four counts of manslaughter for allowing his underage, unlicensed son to take his vehicle the night of the fatal collision in Poinciana — a community about 30 miles south of Orlando. A judge on Feb. 18 handed down the lengthy prison term, which, given Ferguson’s age and health issues, likely means he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The tragedy began on Sept. 3, 2023, when the teen was permitted to drive a 2012 Chevrolet Impala without a permit or supervision. According to court records, the boy sped through a stop sign at high speed and crashed into an SUV driven by Trinidad Hernandez, 50, who was traveling with her three grandchildren — Miley Cruz, 11; Marvin Cruz, 9; and Anayari Hernandez, 1. All four were killed in the collision.
The SUV’s lone survivor, Angel Hernandez, the children’s grandfather, was seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital.
At the sentencing hearing, the courtroom was marked by emotion and grief. Prosecutors called for a severe penalty, citing the catastrophic loss of life and the preventable nature of the crash. Defense attorneys sought leniency, noting that Ferguson is battling Stage IV prostate cancer and other serious health concerns. They argued that incarceration could deny him proper medical care.
Ferguson addressed the court directly, expressing remorse. “I am profoundly sorry,” he said, according to local reports. “This tragedy did not just take lives, it shattered families.”
But the family of the victims made clear their pain and anger. Sabrina Hernandez, whose mother and children perished, delivered a powerful statement, saying there is “absolutely no human experience that compares to the pain of losing a child” and that Ferguson deserved the sentence handed down by the judge.
Ferguson’s son, who was 15 at the time of the crash, accepted a plea agreement and is being held in juvenile custody. Under the terms of the deal, he is expected to remain in detention until he turns 19, with supervised release through age 21 possible depending on behavior.
Ferguson now has 30 days to appeal his sentence.
