Daniel Waterman, 22, briefly woke from a coma before his death – and what he told authorities changed everything.
Daniel Waterman was severely injured in a car crash on Super Bowl Sunday 2025. Originally from the Syracuse area in New York, he had been riding in the passenger seat while his pregnant girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, 24, drove along Interstate 95 in Flagler County, Florida.
The couple reportedly began arguing during the drive, and tensions escalated just moments before the crash. The vehicle went off the road, leaving Waterman with critical injuries. When he briefly woke from his coma, he told investigators something that would change everything.
Waterman, who died on October 8, 2025, from complications related to his injuries, reportedly told authorities that Mumby deliberately caused the crash.
According to court documents cited by People and the New York Post, he said Mumby’s anger boiled over just moments before the accident, saying: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve.”
Both Mumby and the couple’s baby survived, even though she was also injured in the crash.
Waterman tried to escape
In May 2025, Waterman recounted what led to the crash. He claimed Mumby drove the vehicle into a tree after an argument that began when she told him she was pregnant and he got a text from a woman in New York. Waterman alleged that Mumby began driving erratically. He attempted to escape the car, but couldn’t get out before it crashed.
Heather Waterman, Waterman’s mother, later told syracuse.com that the text message at the center of the argument was nothing but a friendly exchange between football fans.
While still recovering from his coma, Waterman eventually communicated with investigators in May using a whiteboard, his mother said. His written statements led to Mumby’s initial arrest.
Mumby allegedly told authorities she did not remember what caused the collision. Court records show she was first charged in July with reckless driving, causing serious bodily injury, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Following Waterman’s death, authorities upgraded the charges to vehicular homicide, People reports.
Waterman’s family is now focused on gaining custody of the baby they believe is his. “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.”
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