A Florida jury has found Leigha Mumby guilty in the high-speed crash that killed her boyfriend, Daniel Waterman, a father-to-be.
Story Highlights
- A six-person jury in Flagler County convicted Mumby, 25, of vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing bodily injury after 71 minutes of deliberation.
- Prosecutors said she was furious over another woman’s texts to Waterman and turned sharply off Interstate 95 at about 94 mph.
- Waterman broke his neck, was left paralyzed and died eight months after the crash.
- Jurors never heard Waterman’s hospital account that she swerved on purpose. The judge kept it out.
A Fast Verdict in the I-95 Crash
Vehicular homicide means killing someone by driving in a reckless way. Prosecutors said the reason was anger: Mumby was furious over another woman’s texts to Waterman before the crash. Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark, who prosecuted the case, called the sharp turn into the woods “a dangerous and reckless maneuver.” The two charges carry up to 20 years in prison.
The trial opened on Tuesday, October 13, after jury selection on Monday, and jurors returned their verdict on Wednesday, October 14. Mumby kept her eyes closed as the verdict was read, then sobbed as a bailiff handcuffed her. She was taken to the county jail to wait for sentencing. Some of Waterman’s family and friends raised a fist.
The Night of the Crash
The crash happened on Feb. 9, 2025, on I-95 in Flagler County, Florida. The couple had left a Super Bowl party hosted by Sarah Stappenbeck, Waterman’s cousin and Mumby’s best friend. Stappenbeck testified that Mumby had announced that day she was pregnant. She also said Mumby later called her, angry about Waterman’s texts to another woman.
Prosecutors said the SUV topped 100 mph before the crash, and vehicle data showed 94 mph in the final seconds. Chip O’Toole, a crash reconstruction expert, testified that she steered 45 degrees to one side, then 75 degrees the other way, and did not brake until the very end. A medical examiner testified that the crash caused Waterman’s death on Oct. 8, 2025. Mumby gave birth to a baby girl three days after he died, according to reports. His obituary called him “an excited, soon-to-be father of a baby girl.”
The Hospital Account the Jury Never Heard
After he woke from a coma, Waterman told detectives that Mumby swerved on purpose after they argued about another woman’s text. He said the last thing he remembered was her saying, “I don’t care what happens, you’ll get what you deserve.” Judge Dawn Nichols, who presided over the trial, ruled those statements could not be used. “The court is bound by the law and the court is bound by the rules of evidence,” she said.
What the Defense Argued
Defense attorney Reid Hart called the case a “pure and utter tragedy.” He told jurors that something happened inside the SUV that Mumby “did not expect, she did not anticipate, and she did not control.” In closing, he said she had a plan to drop Waterman off, that something happened about 3.5 seconds before the crash, and that her efforts to avoid the trees showed she never meant for it to happen. The jury did not accept that account.
What Comes Next
Sentencing will take place at a later date, which the court has not yet set. Mumby will stay in the county jail until then.
Sources:
foxnews.com, ground.news, courttv.com
