OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A jury convicted a man on Wednesday of manslaughter for allegedly allowing his teen son to drive the family car without a license before a Sept. 2023 crash in Poinciana.
Richard Ferguson, 68, was found guilty of four counts of manslaughter in the case.
Authorities say a 50‑year‑old woman and her three grandchildren were killed.
The jury received its instructions shortly before noon and returned the verdict just before 2:30pm, delivering a decision that followed more than a year-long investigation into the crash.
Ferguson took the stand in his defense on Wednesday and said he did not give his son permission to take the car.
[VIDEO: Man on trial accused of letting son drive without a license before fatal Poinciana crash]
Ferguson said there were guests over, and he asked his son to take the car down the driveway to make room for another car, then 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.
[VIDEO: Father arrested after Poinciana crash caused by teen son kills 4, including 3 children]
However, several witnesses, including teenagers who were in the vehicle at the time of the wreck, testified in the courtroom Tuesday. 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.
Authorities say Ri’shard Ferguson ran a stop sign at more than 70 mph on Sept. 3, 2023, at the intersection of San Miguel Road and Laurel Avenue in Poinciana and slammed into the other vehicle.
Ri’shard Ferguson has 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.
The woman whose mother and three kids died, said there were no winners in the case but that the verdict brought a measure of closure and that the punishment was appropriate.
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.
[VIDEO: 4 killed in crash, including 3 children after teen ran stop sign in Poinciana]