February 20, 2026
Father Sentenced To 37 Years After Allowing Son To Drive In Deadly Crash That Killed 4
Under terms of a plea agreement Ferguson’s son, who was driving without a license at the time, will remain in juvenile custody until he reaches age 19.
A Florida father was convicted of manslaughter for a 2023 car crash that killed a grandmother and three children.
Richard Seymour Ferguson was sentenced this week to more than 37 years in prison for allowing his 15-year-old son to operate a vehicle without a driver’s license or permit. A judge ordered Ferguson to serve 444 months in prison, a term just over 37 years, after the jury found him guilty of manslaughter by culpable negligence. At 69 years old, Ferguson will presumably die in prison. The judge noted that the prison term, which is more than the minimum, was appropriate as Sabrina Hernandez lost her mother, Trinidad Hernandez, and three children: Mylie Cruz,1; Marvin Cruz, 9; and Anayari Hernandez, 11.
At his sentencing, Ferguson expressed deep regret and remorse for his actions, Fox 35 Orlando Bay reported.
“Each day is living in grief and regret, and in pain that knows no limit,” he said. “I am truly, deeply sorry for your loss…I know that the weight of my remorse can never compare to the weight of your pain.”
While Ferguson’s remorse appears genuine, Hernandez believes his sentence is just as his life will continue after sentencing, but her mother and children are forever gone. In her victim impact statement, she vehemently lobbied for the maximum sentence.
“The tears that I just see up here, it’s just ridiculous. This man is still alive; your guys’ family is still alive. If you want to hug him, you can hug him. Guess what? If I want to hug my children, I have to hug a vase full of a pile of ashes that sit in my damn living room.”
The crash occurred on Sept. 3, 2023, when the teenager drove the family’s vehicle through a stop sign, driving between 76 -83MPH, and struck the vehicle carrying the Hernandez and Cruz family members. The teen and his three passengers were in a 30MPH speed zone.
Initially, Ferguson’s attorney had sought leniency by citing the defendant’s serious health conditions, including stage 4 prostate cancer. Hernandez sympathizes with Ferguson’s health conditions, but during his impact statement, he attempted to shift blame onto his son, stating that he intended to ride along with him but was distracted. The grieving mother of four found the excuse “cowardly.”
“I take no pity on this man. Am I sorry that he’s sick? I am. And I pray that the Lord comforts him in his bad health, I truly do,” she said. “And I pray that the Lord takes pity on this man, because it’s a pathetic excuse for a man to sit here with your head down and can’t even take accountability,” Hernandez said.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, Ferguson’s son, who was driving without a license at the time, will remain in juvenile custody until he reaches age 19.
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