He opened his eyes from a 3-month coma… whispered ONE sentence to cops about his pregnant girlfriend… then BREATHED HIS LAST in their arms. The baby girl he never held is about to be born into a nightmare.

Imagine: A furious fight at 90 mph. A text that lit the fuse. Her chilling words: “You’ll get what you deserve.” Then the tree.

He survived the crash by a miracle—only to expose her from his deathbed. Now she’s charged with killing him with the car… and the unborn daughter he loved is caught in the crossfire.

The full police report will leave you speechless. 👉

In a story that reads like a heartbreaking thriller ripped from the pages of a crime novel, 22-year-old Daniel Waterman, a soon-to-be father from upstate New York, briefly emerged from a months-long coma only to deliver a devastating accusation against his pregnant girlfriend before succumbing to his injuries. Waterman, who had been excitedly preparing for the arrival of his baby girl, alleged from his hospital bed that 24-year-old Leigha C. Mumby deliberately crashed their car into a tree during a heated argument on a Florida interstate. His death on October 8, 2025, eight months after the February 9 incident, has now elevated the case to vehicular homicide charges against Mumby, raising questions about justice, paternity, and the fragility of young love turned deadly.

The crash occurred late on a Sunday night along Interstate 95 in Flagler County, Florida, a stretch of highway known for its heavy traffic and occasional perils under the cover of darkness. Waterman and Mumby, who had been traveling together after a day that started with Super Bowl festivities, were en route when tensions boiled over. According to a detailed affidavit reviewed by investigators and later corroborated by Waterman’s own account, the couple’s argument stemmed from a volatile mix of personal revelations and perceived betrayals.

Earlier that day, Mumby had discovered she was pregnant—a bombshell that should have been a moment of joy for the young couple. But Waterman, a Liverpool, New York native who had recently relocated to Florida for work, was reportedly conflicted about the pregnancy. He expressed doubts to friends and family about readiness for fatherhood, sources close to the family told local outlets. Compounding the stress, Waterman received a text message from a female acquaintance back in New York discussing the Super Bowl game. Mumby, already emotional from the pregnancy news, interpreted the message as flirtatious, igniting a furious confrontation that escalated rapidly as they hit the road.

As the argument intensified, Waterman later described to police, Mumby began driving erratically. Speeds climbed to 80 or 90 miles per hour, witnesses and crash data would later confirm, far exceeding the posted limits on the interstate. Waterman, seated in the passenger side, attempted to de-escalate the situation but found himself trapped in a vehicle careening toward disaster. “She slowed down at one point, and I tried to get out,” Waterman reportedly wrote to investigators in May, unable to speak due to his injuries but communicating via notepad from his hospital bed. But Mumby allegedly accelerated again, her words cutting deeper than any wound: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve.”

In a split-second decision that would alter lives forever, Mumby veered off the roadway and plowed the car into a sturdy palm tree. The impact was catastrophic. Airbags deployed in a violent burst, metal twisted, and glass shattered across the scene. First responders arriving at approximately 11:45 p.m. found the vehicle mangled, with Waterman pinned in the passenger seat, his body battered beyond immediate recognition. He suffered severe spinal injuries, multiple broken bones, collapsed lungs, and extensive trauma to his head and face—wounds that would keep him fighting for his life in intensive care units across two states.

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Waterman is a native New Yorker.Tiffany Waterman / Facebook

Mumby, by contrast, emerged with relatively minor injuries—a stark disparity that would later fuel suspicions among investigators. She was treated at the scene for cuts and bruises before being released. Initial reports painted the incident as a tragic accident, perhaps a momentary lapse in control amid emotional turmoil. Florida Highway Patrol troopers documented the scene, noting skid marks and the tree’s unyielding trunk as evidence of high velocity. Toxicology tests on Mumby came back negative for drugs or alcohol, ruling out impairment as a factor. But as Waterman was airlifted to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, then later transferred to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse for specialized care, the true narrative began to unravel.

For nearly three months, Waterman lay in a coma, his vital signs a fragile thread connecting him to the world. His mother, Heather Waterman, became a constant vigil at his bedside, reading to him from books about fatherhood and holding his hand through the sterile beeps of monitors. “He was so excited about that baby girl,” Heather recalled in interviews with Syracuse.com and other outlets. “Every day, he’d talk about coming home to her, teaching her to ride a bike, being the dad he never had.” Waterman’s own childhood had been marked by absence—his biological father was largely uninvolved, a void that motivated Daniel to envision a different path for his child. He even enrolled in online parenting classes during lucid moments in August, with Heather assisting him on her laptop as his mobility remained limited.

Miraculously, in May 2025, Waterman stirred from his coma. It was a fleeting window of clarity amid ongoing recovery. Though his voice was silenced by intubation and swelling, his mind was sharp enough to recount the horror. Investigators from the Florida Highway Patrol visited his room, notepad in hand, as Waterman scrawled his version of events. He detailed the argument’s progression, Mumby’s reckless acceleration, her chilling words, and the deliberate swerve into the tree. “She did it on purpose,” he allegedly wrote, his hand trembling but resolute. This “dying declaration,” as legal experts might term it, shifted the investigation from accident to potential crime. By July, Mumby faced initial charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief—serious accusations, but not yet murder.

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Florida woman Leigha Mumby is facing several charges.Flagler County Sheriff’s Office

Waterman’s recovery, however, proved illusory. The crash’s toll lingered: infections set in, his immune system ravaged by prolonged hospitalization and surgeries. Pneumonia struck in early October, a stealthy killer that overwhelmed his battered body. On October 8, surrounded by family in Syracuse, Daniel Waterman took his last breath at 22—never holding the daughter he so desperately wanted to meet. A GoFundMe page established by loved ones captured the collective grief: “Daniel was an excited, soon-to-be father of a baby girl. He wanted nothing more than to come home to her and to the family who loved him so dearly.”

News of his passing rippled quickly, prompting Florida authorities to amend Mumby’s charges on October 27. Vehicular homicide now looms over her, a felony carrying up to 30 years in prison if convicted. She was arrested and booked into Flagler County Jail, where she remains on $250,000 bond. Mumby, a 24-year-old from an unspecified Florida town, has not publicly commented on the allegations. Her attorney, reached by reporters, declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation. “We will defend our client vigorously in court,” was the terse statement issued.

Yet, even as criminal proceedings advance, evidentiary hurdles emerge. Legal analysts, speaking off the record to outlets like Law&Crime, note that Waterman’s written statement—his only direct testimony—may face admissibility challenges. Hearsay rules typically bar such out-of-court statements, though exceptions exist for dying declarations in homicide cases. “Since Daniel can’t be cross-examined, the defense will argue it’s unreliable,” one Syracuse-based attorney told reporters. A judge will ultimately decide, potentially in pre-trial hearings set for early 2026.

Complicating matters further is the unborn child’s fate—a girl due any day now, as of this reporting. Heather Waterman firmly believes the baby is her son’s, based on timelines and Daniel’s convictions. He had voiced a dying wish for his family to gain custody, vowing to be the present father he lacked. But with paternity unestablished before his death—Florida law requires DNA testing post-birth—the Watersons face an uphill battle. Interstate custody disputes, involving New York and Florida courts, could drag on for years, pitting family against legal technicalities. “We just want to honor Daniel’s memory by loving that little girl,” Heather said, her voice cracking in a phone interview. “He fought so hard to be her dad.”

Friends and community members in Liverpool, a working-class suburb of Syracuse, remember Waterman as a gentle soul with big dreams. He worked odd jobs in construction and retail, saving for a future that now feels stolen. “Danny was the guy who’d give you the shirt off his back,” one high school buddy posted on social media. “He lit up talking about that baby. This isn’t just a story—it’s our heartbreak.” Vigils have sprung up, with purple ribbons—Daniel’s favorite color—adorning local trees. A memorial fund has raised over $15,000 for funeral costs and legal fees in the custody fight.

The case has ignited broader conversations about domestic violence disguised as accidents. Experts from the National Domestic Violence Hotline point out that arguments over infidelity or unplanned pregnancies often escalate in confined spaces like cars, where escape feels impossible. “This tragedy underscores how quickly emotions can turn lethal,” said hotline spokesperson Lisa James in a statement. “Victims like Daniel may not realize the danger until it’s too late.” Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that intimate partner violence contributes to thousands of injuries annually, with men comprising about 40% of severe cases—often underreported due to stigma.

As Mumby’s trial date approaches, the focus shifts to the baby, a tiny beacon amid the sorrow. Will she grow up knowing her father’s fierce love, pieced together from hospital notes and family lore? Or will the shadows of this crash obscure that legacy? For now, Heather Waterman clings to mementos: a sonogram photo Daniel kissed goodbye, a half-finished parenting workbook. “He never gave up,” she repeats, a mantra against the void. “Not on life, not on her.”

In the end, Daniel Waterman’s brief awakening wasn’t just a medical miracle—it was a cry for truth that echoes through courtrooms and hearts alike. As Florida prosecutors build their case, one question lingers: Can justice, cold and procedural, ever capture the warmth of a father’s unspoken promises? The road ahead is long, but for this family, it’s paved with unyielding resolve.