OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A father convicted of manslaughter for allowing his teen son to drive the family car without a license before a fatal Poinciana crash in September 2023 will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Richard Ferguson was found guilty of four counts of manslaughter in the case.
According to troopers, Ferguson’s son, Ri’shard Ferguson, ran through a stop sign at nearly 80 mph and slammed into another vehicle, killing a 50-year-old woman and her three grandchildren — a 1-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. Ri’shard Ferguson was 15 years old at the time of the wreck.
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During his trial in October, Ferguson said there were guests over and he asked his son to take the car down the driveway to make room for another car when he realized he had driven off. Ferguson said he tried to call his son to tell him to come home, but it was too late.
On the witness stand, Ferguson testified, “No, nor did I give him the keys. If you listen to all three witnesses, they said I never gave him the keys.” The jury, however, concluded otherwise.
Several witnesses, including teenagers who were in the vehicle at the time of the wreck, testified in the trial. One teen recalled Richard Ferguson sitting in the garage and telling the youths to buckle up before they left. When asked whether Richard Ferguson saw the teens get into the car and made any attempt to stop them, the witness testified that Richard Ferguson did see them but did not try to intervene.
The jury found him guilty of vehicular manslaughter charges.
Ri’shard Ferguson pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges and accepted a plea agreement; under that deal, he is expected to remain in juvenile custody until he turns 19. He is then expected to remain under supervision until he is 21.
Ferguson faces up to 15 years in prison.