A Florida man who was involved in a car wreck back in February told police that the crash was no accident after waking from his coma. Daniel Waterman informed officers a few months before his death that his girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, had intentionally crashed the vehicle.
Mumby, 24, had been driving with Waterman, 22, in the passenger seat of her car the night of February 9th according to the Miami Herald. While driving down the interstate 95 in Flagler County, the car veered off the road and into a tree. Both passengers suffered significant injuries but were thankfully rescued from the wreck by emergency services.
According to an arrest affidavit, Mumby walked out of hospital a few days later, claiming that she did “not know what had happened prior to the crash and only remembers waking up in agonizing pain.” Meanwhile, Waterman was in a serious condition and was fighting for his life. He wasn’t able to tell officers his side of the story until May.
What did Daniel Waterman tell the police?
Daniel informed officers that he and Mumby had been arguing prior to the crash after his girlfriend told him that she was pregnant. Mumby had reportedly been intent on keeping the child, while Waterman was not so sure. One of Daniel’s cousins, Jessica Stappenbeck, who had been there when he found out, told Flaglerlive that “he didn’t know what he was going to do, and he didn’t like how Leigha was handling the situation.”
Waterman had also received a message from another woman (although the relationship between him and this woman is unclear), this led to Mumby driving recklessly and speeding. He told officers that his girlfriend sped up to around 80 or 90mph and told him, “I don’t care what happens, you’ll get what you deserve,” before intentionally driving off the road and hitting the tree.
Mumby was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. She was later released on $30,000 bail.
While Waterman had continued his slow recovery, tragedy struck in October when the young man suddenly passed away after contracting pneumonia while at the hospital.
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark has since filed a vehicular homicide charge against Mumby. Waterman’s illness and subsequent death were arguably directly caused by the crash but whether those charges will stick, it’s not yet clear. As for his family, they claim that his dying wish was for them to get custody of his child, the baby girl that Mumby was pregnant with.
