A Florida man, Richard Ferguson, 70, has been sentenced to 444.15 months in prison, amounting to approximately 37 years, following his conviction for four counts of manslaughter related to a deadly car crash in 2023. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of Trinidad Hernandez and her three grandchildren, who were passengers in a vehicle struck by a car driven by Ferguson’s unlicensed 15-year-old son on September 3, 2023.
Ferguson was found guilty by a jury of manslaughter, with the prosecution asserting that he had given his son the keys to the car involved in the crash. Ferguson denied this claim, maintaining that he never handed his son the car keys and did not grant permission for him to drive. He stated that his son took the keys from the key rack without his consent.
At the sentencing hearing held on February 18, 2026, before Judge Wayne Wooten, Ferguson expressed remorse for the incident. From the witness stand, he said, “Please know that my remorse is permanent and genuine and overwhelming. I am sorry, I am truly sorry.” He further acknowledged that he should have intervened more assertively by stopping his son but reiterated that he did not deliberately provide the keys.
Judge Wooten declined Ferguson’s request for a downward departure from mandatory minimum sentencing requirements, sentencing him to nearly 37 years in prison. The judge’s decision was influenced by the severity of the offense and the resulting loss of life.
Fergusing’s family members, including his children, spoke on his behalf during the hearing, appealing for leniency and requesting home confinement rather than incarceration. They highlighted Ferguson’s medical condition, noting he is suffering from Stage IV prostate cancer, which Ferguson stated had worsened since his imprisonment.
However, Sabrina Hernandez, the daughter of Trinidad Hernandez and mother of the three deceased children, expressed her frustration and grief, firmly opposing any leniency. She stated, “I’m angry that I’m sitting here and listening to the sob stories about health. It’s completely missing the point. If I want to hug my children, I have to hug a vase with a pile of ashes that sits in my living room.”
Ferguson’s son, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, was sentenced separately as a juvenile. Currently 17 years old, he is expected to be released from custody upon turning 19.
The sentencing concludes a case marked by intense emotional testimony, substantial legal scrutiny, and the tragedy of a fatal accident involving multiple victims and a young driver without a license.
