Leigha Mumby, a 25-year-old Florida woman, faces a jury for the death of her boyfriend, Daniel Waterman, after prosecutors accused her of deliberately crashing their SUV at high speed. Mumby pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. The trial opened Tuesday in Flagler County, where Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark argued that Mumby made a sharp turn into the woods at nearly 100 mph following an argument.
Clark told jurors that the couple left a Super Bowl party before the February 9, 2025, wreck on Interstate 95. Vehicle data indicated the SUV was moving at 94 mph in the final seconds before an abrupt left-hand turn at 45 degrees sent it off the highway. Clark described the maneuver as dangerous and reckless. Waterman, who was 22 at the time of the crash, suffered a broken neck that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He fell into a coma and, after awakening, could not breathe on his own. He died on October 8, 2025.
A central issue in the case is whether jurors will hear Waterman’s own account of the crash. Before his death, Waterman told detectives that Mumby deliberately swerved off the road after an argument over a text message from another woman. He stated that the last thing he remembered was Mumby telling him, "I don’t care what happens, you’ll get what you deserve," before the vehicle left the road. Judge Dawn Nichols ruled those statements inadmissible, preventing prosecutors from presenting Waterman’s version of events at trial. Clark acknowledged that evidence rules prevented them from using the statements, stating that the court is bound by the law.
Defense attorney Reid Hart offered a different explanation, describing the incident as a tragedy resulting from something outside Mumby’s control. Hart questioned whether Mumby chose to drive off the road or if something happened inside the vehicle that she did not expect or control. He argued that once the vehicle began moving toward the woods, Mumby tried to avoid the crash but could not stop it.
Jurors heard testimony from Sarah Stappenbeck, Waterman’s cousin and Mumby’s best friend, who hosted the Super Bowl gathering. Stappenbeck said Mumby announced her pregnancy earlier that day but expressed concern that Waterman was talking to other girls. Stappenbeck testified that Mumby called her about 20 minutes after leaving the party, yelling that she was bringing Waterman back to the house because he was texting another girl. Stappenbeck tried to calm her and urged them to get home safely. Mumby hung up, repeating her anger in a second call about 20 minutes later. They never arrived. Instead, Mumby’s roommate called Stappenbeck to inform her of the crash.
Mumby was first taken into custody in July 2025 on charges of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Following Waterman’s death, prosecutors added vehicular homicide to the list of charges against her. She was held in Flagler County Jail and later released after posting a $150,000 bond.
Waterman’s mother, Heather Waterman, was seen wiping away tears as a photo of her son was shown in court on the first day of trial. His aunt, Tiffany Waterman, expressed anguish over the exclusion of Daniel’s statements in a Facebook post. She described him as protective and loving. The family’s attorney, John Hager, said in November 2025 that they supported the charges filed following Waterman’s death. Mumby gave birth to a baby girl three days after Waterman died.