ORANGE COUNTY, Fla – An Orange County jury found Seneca Howard guilty of Vehicular Homicide after a car he was driving crashed into another vehicle resulting in the death of an 89-year-old woman in Orlando.

On Dec. 23, 2019, Howard was speeding in a stolen red Nissan on South Westmoreland Drive, traveling over 70 miles per hour in a 25-mile zone and running through multiple red lights. As he approached the intersection of West Central Street, he ran the red light and collided with a Hyundai Sonata that was proceeding through the intersection. The impact with the Sonata caused the stolen Nissan to collide with a Toyota Corolla that was stationary at the stoplight on the opposite side of Westmoreland. A passenger in the Corolla, Sammie Lee Johnson, 89, died within seconds of the collision.

After the collision, the stolen Nissan overturned and landed on its roof. A male passenger in the vehicle crawled out of the rear window of the stolen Nissan and law enforcement swarmed around him. Howard also crawled out of the rear window of the vehicle and attempted to hide his identity and leave the scene. However, he was caught as he was attempting to leave.

Howard was subsequently charged with Vehicular Homicide, Attempted Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Death, and Driving without a Valid License with Death. After a five-day trial, a jury found Howard guilty as charged on all three counts on Jan. 12. Howard has previously been sentenced to prison twice and has a prior conviction for robbery with a deadly weapon; as a Habitual Felony Offender, he will be eligible for an enhanced sentence when he is sentenced on Feb. 23.