A tragic car accident has claimed the life of a young father-to-be, just months after he briefly emerged from a coma to accuse his girlfriend, who was at the wheel, of causing the crash.
Daniel Waterman, 22, from Liverpool, New York, succumbed to his injuries on October 8. This was eight months following a devastating accident in Florida involving his 24-year-old girlfriend, Leigha Mumby.
Upon regaining consciousness, Waterman informed police that Mumby was responsible for the accident, which left him with severe injuries including broken bones, spinal damage, and collapsed lungs.
According to state troopers, Waterman recalled Mumby, who was pregnant at the time, ominously stating, “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve,” before she allegedly lost control and crashed the vehicle. Mumby has since given birth.
The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation reported that the couple had been arguing after Waterman found out about her pregnancy and after he received a text from another woman in New York. This reportedly sparked the heated exchange.
As noted in the complaint, Waterman attempted to exit the car when Mumby slowed down, but she allegedly accelerated to over 90 mph, ultimately crashing into a tree and injuring them both.
The young mom was arrested in July on a charge of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. She pleaded not guilty.
Her charges have since been upgraded following Waterman’s death. She is now charged with vehicular homicide and was booked in the Flagler County Jail. She was released after posting her $150,000 bond.
Daniel Waterman died on October 8, eight months after he and his girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, were in a car accident in Florida
After waking from a coma, Waterman told police Mumby (pictured together) was responsible for the horrific crash that left him with broken bones, spinal injuries, and collapsed lungs
‘This was not an accident,’ Waterman family attorney, John Hager, said. ‘Evidence showed she didn’t use the brakes – the car was speeding up at the time of impact.’
The Watermans called the tragedy an ‘act of violence’ and said he ‘courageously fought for eight months.’
‘There was not a day that went by that he didn’t express that he just wanted to come home. Eight long months of suffering,’ a GoFundMe said.
‘Daniel was an excited, soon-to-be father of a baby girl,’ a GoFundMe read. ‘He wanted nothing more than to come home to her and to the family who loved him so dearly.’
The fundraiser has garnered more than $22,000 of its $50,000 goal.
The family is now fighting for custody of the child, pending a paternity test, CYN Central reported.
‘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,’ Waterman’s grandfather, Michael Gilman, told the outlet.
Mumby was arrested in July on a charge of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. She pleaded not guilty. The mom’s charges have since been upgraded following Waterman’s death. She is now charged with vehicular homicide
His family is now fighting for custody for the child, pending a paternity test
‘She has to know him through our actions, through our memories. We will not let him be gone.’
The family has also expressed concerns about the child’s safety in Mumby’s care, as she already put the child’s life in danger while pregnant.
‘We can’t let the baby grow up with a mom that could possibly do this,’ Gilman said.
