According to court records, the father of a Florida teenager who is accused of causing a fatal crash in 2023 has now been charged with multiple counts of manslaughter in connection with the incident.
According to recent court documents, authorities claim that the father allowed his unlicensed 15-year-old to drive three of his friends around the town before the tragic accident. Additionally, it is alleged that he intentionally moved another vehicle out of the driveway to clear the path for the other vehicle.
According to FHP, the crash has led to the 15-year-old being charged with four counts of vehicular homicide.
FHP: Grandmother, 3 grandchildren killed in 2023 crash
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According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the collision occurred on September 3, 2023, at the intersection of Laurel Avenue and San Miguel Road in Poinciana.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a 15-year-old boy was driving a 2012 Chevy Impala when he failed to stop at a stop sign. As a result, the Impala collided with the side of a 2022 Honda HR-V.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the Honda was sent into a spin and collided with a light pole due to the force of the crash.
Trinidad Hernandez and her three grandchildren, Mylie Cruz, Marvin Cruz, and Anayari Hernandez, aged 1, 9, and 11, lost their lives in the Honda.
Sabrina Hernandez, the mother of the children who tragically lost their lives in the accident, paid her respects at a solemn candlelight memorial a few days later.
“I feel like a part of me is slowly fading away. It breaks my heart that I can no longer spend time with my children or see my mother,” she expressed in an interview with FOX 35.
“This is the heartbreaking result. Right here in this very spot, I lost my entire family,” Hernandez shared with immense sorrow. “Every morning, I wake up with the painful realization that I will never again have the opportunity to see my beloved children.”
Father of alleged teen driver charged a year later
What we know so far: Richard Seymour Ferguson, 68, was taken into custody this week on four charges of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the collision.
In the arrest report, it was stated that Ferguson willingly aided his son (name redacted) by relocating a vehicle to clear the way for him to access another vehicle parked in the driveway. Additionally, he permitted three of his friends, all of whom were minors, to accompany him on the drive.
According to the report, it is alleged that he was aware that his 15-year-old son did not possess a driver’s permit or license.
Bond for each charge was set at $15,000, resulting in a total bond amount of $60,000.
Is the son facing charges in the crash?
A spokesperson for FHP has confirmed that an arrest warrant has been issued for the son, although his identity has not been disclosed. FHP has stated that the State Attorney’s Office intends to charge him with three counts of vehicular homicide.
It is uncertain whether he is facing those charges as a juvenile or an adult. Usually, FOX 35 refrains from disclosing the names of juvenile defendants, unless their case has been transferred to adult court.