US3 min(s) read
Published 15:50 27 Jul 2026 GMT
Nine months after young father-to-be Daniel Waterman died from injuries following a Florida car crash, his grieving family says their fight for justice is far from over.
The 22-year-old was seriously injured in a crash in Flagler County on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2025. His then-pregnant girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, was driving the vehicle.
Waterman’s family says he suffered catastrophic injuries and was initially airlifted to a Florida hospital, where he remained in intensive care until he died on October 8, 2025.
His family is now preparing to return to Florida on July 22 for a pretrial hearing, as they continue to seek answers over the circumstances surrounding his death.
Waterman’s grandfather, Michael Gilman, helped raise him during his early childhood and remembered the young man as someone with a bright future.
Recalling fond memories of his late grandson, Gilman said: “When he was born, I cut his cord. So that was quite the experience for me.”
Explaining their close relationship, he added: “He was my kid. He lived with us until he was about five years old.”
Waterman’s aunt, Tiffany Waterman, said that her nephew woke up briefly from his coma and was able to tell his family about the argument he had with Mumby before the crash and told his family he had feared for his life.
She told a Syracuse news channel, WSYR-TV: “They were arguing in the vehicle, this is according to Waterman's statement, and he did receive a text from a female friend back in New York, a friend he’s had since middle school.
"She got very jealous and upset during this and they exchanged expletives. She started to slow the car down to about 50 mph and this is when Daniel was trying to escape the car because he did feel his life was in danger.
"He had been in an accident before and he was very scared of getting in an accident again. She knew this and was taunting him with the vehicle."
The aunt then added: “She then sped up into the 90s (mph) and the last thing he remembered was her screaming at him, ‘I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve.’ They ended up immediately after into a tree.”
Mumby was later charged with vehicular homicide following Waterman’s death.
Three days after he died, Mumby gave birth to the couple’s daughter on October 11, 2025.
Tragically, Waterman’s family says they have never met the child and do not even know her name.
His grieving grandfather claimed: “We haven’t seen her. That tears at our heart. She needs to know who her dad was. She never got to meet him, so it’s our charge to make sure she knows him.”
Waterman's heartbroken aunt said: “It was beautiful to see him start to mature. That’s what’s really sad because he was just starting out on his life at 22.”
The family says it has made countless trips between Central New York and Florida for court hearings.
Gilman said: “We promised Daniel we will make sure he gets justice.
“We’ll do everything in our power to make sure that his daughter knows him as best anybody could.”
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Published 17:24 01 Dec 2025 GMT
A young father-to-be from Florida regained consciousness after a serious car crash — just long enough to make a statement to the police.
He then sadly passed away, leaving investigators to look into the claims that he made against his pregnant girlfriend, per the New York Post.
Daniel Waterman, a 22-year-old originally from the Syracuse area in New York, had been riding in the passenger seat while his girlfriend, 24-year-old Leigha Mumby, was behind the wheel.
The couple were driving along Interstate 95 in Flagler County, Florida, on Super Bowl Sunday this past February when tensions reportedly erupted into a fight.
According to court documents, Waterman later told authorities that the argument turned especially dark when Mumby allegedly said: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve,” moments before allegedly crashing the car into a tree.
Both sustained serious injuries in the wreck.
Waterman was left in a coma, while Mumby — who was pregnant at the time — also suffered injuries but survived. Her unborn baby made it through the crash and has since been born.
Daniel Waterman sadly passed away. Credit: Tiffany Waterman / Facebook
Waterman’s mother, Heather Waterman, told syracuse.com that her son initially went into a coma after the accident but eventually regained enough consciousness in May to communicate using a whiteboard.
It was then, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by People, that he implicated Mumby in the crash.
The couple had reportedly started arguing after Mumby discovered she was pregnant and Waterman received a text message from a woman back in New York.
Heather Waterman said the message was harmless — just a Super Bowl-related exchange with a friend who supported the Philadelphia Eagles, while her son rooted for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Court records allege that Mumby began driving erratically after the argument and ultimately slammed the vehicle into a tree. However, Mumby reportedly told investigators that she doesn’t recall what caused the crash.
Despite her initial charges of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in July, the legal stakes escalated after Waterman’s condition worsened.
After being transferred from Florida to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse to continue his recovery, he died on October 8 from pneumonia, according to syracuse.com.
Following his death, Mumby was charged with vehicular homicide, People reported, citing law enforcement.
Waterman allegedly told police that his girlfriend was behind the crash. Credit: Tiffany Waterman / Facebook
Now, Waterman’s family is focused on gaining custody of the child they believe to be his. Heather Waterman said they plan to prove paternity and bring the baby to New York.
“We’ll do whatever we can do to bring her to us,” she told Syracuse.com. “He wanted her raised in New York with his family.”
Though his health battles ultimately proved too much, Heather remembered her son’s resilience in his final months.
“He never gave up,” she said. “This whole entire time, he literally never gave up.”
Published 13:57 31 Oct 2025 GMT
A young father-to-be from Florida regained consciousness after a serious car crash — just long enough to make a statement to the police.
He then sadly passed away, leaving investigators to look into the claims that he made against his pregnant girlfriend, per the New York Post.
Daniel Waterman, a 22-year-old originally from the Syracuse area in New York, had been riding in the passenger seat while his girlfriend, 24-year-old Leigha Mumby, was behind the wheel.
The couple were driving along Interstate 95 in Flagler County, Florida, on Super Bowl Sunday this past February when tensions reportedly erupted into a fight.
According to court documents, Waterman later told authorities that the argument turned especially dark when Mumby allegedly said: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve,” moments before allegedly crashing the car into a tree.
Both sustained serious injuries in the wreck.
Waterman was left in a coma, while Mumby — who was pregnant at the time — also suffered injuries but survived. Her unborn baby made it through the crash and has since been born.
Waterman’s mother, Heather Waterman, told syracuse.com that her son initially went into a coma after the accident but eventually regained enough consciousness in May to communicate using a whiteboard.
It was then, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by People, that he implicated Mumby in the crash.
The couple had reportedly started arguing after Mumby discovered she was pregnant and Waterman received a text message from a woman back in New York.
Heather Waterman said the message was harmless — just a Super Bowl-related exchange with a friend who supported the Philadelphia Eagles, while her son rooted for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Court records allege that Mumby began driving erratically after the argument and ultimately slammed the vehicle into a tree. However, Mumby reportedly told investigators that she doesn’t recall what caused the crash.
Despite her initial charges of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in July, the legal stakes escalated after Waterman’s condition worsened.
After being transferred from Florida to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse to continue his recovery, he died on October 8 from pneumonia, according to syracuse.com.
Following his death, Mumby was charged with vehicular homicide, People reported, citing law enforcement.
Now, Waterman’s family is focused on gaining custody of the child they believe to be his. Heather Waterman said they plan to prove paternity and bring the baby to New York.
“We’ll do whatever we can do to bring her to us,” she told syracuse.com. “He wanted her raised in New York with his family.”
Though his health battles ultimately proved too much, Heather remembered her son’s resilience in his final months.
“He never gave up,” she said. “This whole entire time, he literally never gave up.”
Published 15:18 31 Oct 2025 GMT
A young father-to-be from Florida briefly regained consciousness after a devastating car crash — just long enough to give investigators a chilling account of what happened the night he nearly lost his life.
Daniel Waterman, 22, later died from complications related to his injuries.
But not before claiming his pregnant girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, deliberately caused the crash during a heated argument, according to court documents cited by People and the New York Post.
Waterman, originally from the Syracuse area in New York, had been riding in the passenger seat while Mumby, 24, drove along Interstate 95 in Flagler County, Florida, on Super Bowl Sunday on February 25.
The couple reportedly began arguing during the drive, and the confrontation quickly escalated.
According to the arrest affidavit, Waterman told authorities that Mumby’s anger boiled over when she allegedly said: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve,” moments before the crash.
The vehicle veered off the road and slammed into a tree, leaving both occupants seriously injured. Waterman was placed in a coma, while Mumby — who was pregnant at the time — also suffered severe injuries but survived. Her unborn baby also survived and has since been born.
Daniel Waterman sadly passed away. Credit: Tiffany Waterman / Facebook
During an interview with investigators in May 2025, Waterman reportedly recounted what led to the crash, per PEOPLE.
The affidavit states that he claimed Mumby drove the vehicle into the tree after an argument that began when she told him she was pregnant and after he received a text message from a woman in New York.
As the fight intensified, Waterman alleged that Mumby began driving erratically. At one point, she slowed the car, and Waterman tried to escape, according to the complaint. Moments later, the vehicle crashed.
Waterman’s mother, Heather Waterman, later told syracuse.com that the text message at the center of the argument was innocent — a friendly exchange between football fans.
Her son was a Kansas City Chiefs supporter, while the woman texting him rooted for the Philadelphia Eagles, the two teams facing off that night in the Super Bowl.
Leigha Mumby. Credit: Flagler County Sheriff's Office
While recovering from his coma, Waterman was eventually able to communicate with investigators in May using a whiteboard, his mother told syracuse.com. It was then that he implicated Mumby in the crash, providing written statements that led to her initial arrest.
Mumby allegedly told authorities she didn’t remember what caused the collision. Court records indicate she was first charged in July with reckless driving, causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Waterman allegedly told police that his girlfriend was behind the crash. Credit: Tiffany Waterman / Facebook
After months of treatment in Florida, Waterman was transferred to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse in July to continue his recovery.
Despite showing signs of progress, he died on October 8, 2025, from pneumonia related to his injuries, syracuse.com reported.
Following his death, authorities upgraded Mumby’s charges to vehicular homicide, according to People.
Waterman’s family is now focused on gaining custody of the baby they believe is his. His mother said she intends to prove paternity through the courts and bring the child to New York to be raised among his relatives.
“We’ll do whatever we can do to bring her to us,” Heather Waterman told syracuse.com. “He wanted her raised in New York with his family.”
Even through his pain and long fight for recovery, Heather said her son never gave up.
Published 16:15 02 Nov 2025 GMT
A pregnant woman in Florida has been charged with vehicular homicide after her boyfriend, who was left in a coma following a February crash, died from his injuries eight months later.
Daniel Waterman, 22, of New York, had accused his partner, Leigha Mumby, 24, of deliberately driving into a tree at high speed during Super Bowl weekend in Flagler County. Before his death in October, he told investigators he was the passenger in the car Mumby was driving.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by People, Waterman said Mumby made a chilling statement before the collision, telling him: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve.”
Waterman’s family told Syracuse.com that he recalled the crash after waking from a coma and claimed Mumby was intentionally speeding at 90 mph (145 km/h) before the car hit a tree. The impact left him with multiple broken bones, spinal injuries, and collapsed lungs.
The couple were reportedly arguing after Waterman received a message from another woman. He tried to jump from the car but could not get out before the vehicle veered off the road and crashed.
Mumby was first arrested in July and charged with reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. She pleaded not guilty. After Waterman’s death on October 8, prosecutors upgraded the charges to vehicular homicide.
“This was not an accident,” Waterman family lawyer John Hager told the New York Post. “Evidence showed she didn’t use the brakes – the car was speeding up at the time of impact.”
Waterman’s family described the incident as “an act of violence.” His grandfather, Michael Gilman, told CNY Central that the family is seeking custody of the baby girl Mumby gave birth to after the crash. “It’s our mission in life that if that child is his, that we take that child and teach her what her dad was all about,” Gilman said.
A GoFundMe page set up to support the family said Waterman endured “eight long months of suffering.” It described him as “an excited, soon-to-be father of a baby girl” who “wanted nothing more than to come home to her and to the family who loved him so dearly.”
Mumby is currently being held at the Flagler County Jail in Florida as legal proceedings continue.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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