A Florida woman has been charged with multiple offenses, including vehicular homicide, following a February car crash that ultimately claimed her boyfriend’s life several months later.
Authorities say 22-year-old Daniel Waterman was critically injured in a crash along an interstate in Flagler County, Florida, on February 9. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, he suffered life-threatening injuries.
His girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, 24, was arrested in July after a warrant was issued for reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Following Waterman’s death on October 8, Mumby’s charges were upgraded to vehicular homicide, as noted in an amended warrant filed on October 24.
After the crash, Waterman was hospitalized with severe spinal and head injuries and later fell into a coma, his mother told Syracuse.com. When he eventually regained consciousness, investigators interviewed him about the incident.
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According to the affidavit, Waterman told investigators in May that Mumby deliberately drove the car into a tree during an argument the night of the crash. The argument allegedly began after he discovered Mumby was pregnant and had also received a text message from another woman in New York.
As tensions escalated, Waterman said Mumby started driving recklessly. When he attempted to get out of the car, she accelerated and allegedly said, “I don’t care what happens, you’ll get what you deserve,” before crashing into the tree.
Both were severely injured. Mumby later told investigators she could not recall the events leading up to the crash and only remembered waking up “in agonizing pain.”
Mumby and her unborn child survived, according to reports. Waterman’s family has since sought custody of the child pending a paternity test, CNY Central reported. “We can’t let the baby grow up with a mom that could possibly do this,” said Waterman’s grandfather, Michael Gilman. “If that child is his, we’ll make sure she knows her dad through our actions and memories.”
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Family members described Waterman as a soon-to-be father who was deeply excited about welcoming his baby girl. A GoFundMe created to assist with medical expenses noted, “There was not a day that went by that he didn’t express that he just wanted to come home.”
Mumby has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges of reckless driving and aggravated battery. Court records do not yet indicate a plea for the vehicular homicide charge, and her attorney has not commented publicly.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. All calls are confidential and toll-free, and support is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
