A young Florida father-to-be, who was left in a coma after a violent car crash, briefly regained consciousness and used the moment to accuse his girlfriend of intentionally causing the accident, authorities reported.
New York native Daniel Waterman accused his girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, of intentionally causing the crash, claiming she sneered, “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve,” during an argument while driving on Interstate 95 in Flagler County, Florida, on Super Bowl night last February, court documents reveal. Mumby, 24, was behind the wheel when the car crashed into a tree, leaving Waterman, 22, with serious injuries that put him in a coma, Waterman’s mother said.
Doing Justice for Himself
The Syracuse-area native regained enough consciousness in May to talk to investigators using a whiteboard, leading to his allegations that his girlfriend caused the crash, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by People.
Waterman told authorities that the argument began after Mumby learned she was pregnant and he received a text from a woman in New York.
His mother, Heather Waterman, clarified that he was simply texting a friend who supported the Philadelphia Eagles, while her son cheered for the Kansas City Chiefs—the two teams facing off in the Super Bowl.
The complaint claims that Mumby then began driving recklessly and slammed the car into a tree.
Mumby, 24, who was also seriously injured but survived, said she didn’t know what caused the crash. Their unborn child also survived, and Mumby has since given birth.
Sad End
Waterman showed enough progress to be moved from Florida to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse in July to continue his recovery, but tragically, he died from pneumonia on October 8, Syracuse.com reported.
“He never gave up,” Heather Waterman told the outlet. “This whole entire time, he literally never gave up.”
Mumby was first charged in July with reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. After Waterman’s death, authorities upgraded the charges to include vehicular homicide, People reported.
Meanwhile, Waterman’s family is now turning their attention to securing custody of his child. His mother has vowed to fight in court to prove that Daniel was the father and to bring the child 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.”
