A tragic crash in Florida took a dramatic turn after a young man briefly regained consciousness from a coma and revealed to investigators what he believed had really happened moments before the accident.
Daniel Waterman, 22, suffered devastating injuries in a crash that occurred on Super Bowl Sunday in 2025. The young man, originally from the Syracuse area of New York, was traveling along Interstate 95 in Flagler County, Florida, sitting in the passenger seat while his pregnant girlfriend, 24-year-old Leigha Mumby, was driving.
According to reports, the couple began arguing during the drive, and the situation escalated just before the crash occurred. The vehicle suddenly veered off the road, leaving Waterman critically injured.
Although he later fell into a coma, Waterman briefly woke up and was able to communicate with investigators. During that moment, he made a statement that would later become central to the investigation.
Waterman ultimately died on October 8, 2025, from complications related to the injuries he sustained in the crash. Before his death, however, he reportedly told authorities that the accident was not a simple loss of control. According to court documents cited by People and the New York Post, he claimed that Mumby intentionally caused the crash.
Investigators say Waterman described how the argument intensified moments before the collision. He told authorities that Mumby became furious and said: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve.”
Despite the severity of the accident, both Mumby and the baby she was carrying survived, although she was also injured.
Months earlier, in May 2025, Waterman had already described the sequence of events leading up to the crash. He claimed that the dispute began after Mumby told him she was pregnant and he received a text message from another woman in New York. According to his account, Mumby became enraged and started driving dangerously.
Waterman said he attempted to escape the car as her driving became increasingly erratic, but he was unable to get out before the vehicle crashed into a tree.
Later, Waterman’s mother, Heather Waterman, told syracuse.com that the message which sparked the argument was nothing more than a friendly conversation between football fans.
While still recovering from his coma earlier in the year, Waterman was eventually able to communicate with investigators using a whiteboard in May, according to his mother. Those written statements were used as evidence and led to Mumby’s initial arrest.
Mumby reportedly told authorities that she could not remember what caused the crash. Court records show that she was first charged in July with reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, as well as aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
After Waterman died from his injuries, prosecutors upgraded the case, charging Mumby with vehicular homicide, according to People.
Meanwhile, Waterman’s family says their focus is now on gaining custody of the baby they believe is his daughter.
Speaking to syracuse.com, Heather Waterman said: “We’ll do whatever we can do to bring her to us. He wanted her raised in New York with his family.”
