A Flagler County jury needed just 71 minutes to convict Leigha Mumby of vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, finding her responsible for a February 2025 Interstate 95 crash that left her boyfriend paralyzed and ultimately led to his death eight months later. The six-member panel returned its verdict Wednesday after a two-day trial, and Mumby now faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced at a later date.
According to the State Attorney, Florida's 7th Circuit, the case stemmed from a crash on Super Bowl Sunday, February 9, 2025, after an argument erupted between Mumby and her boyfriend, Daniel Waterman, over a text message. The dispute followed Mumby's disclosure earlier that same morning that she was pregnant, according to Flagler County Buzz. Mumby was driving on I-95 at 93 to 95 mph shortly before the crash, and investigators say she turned the steering wheel left, sending the SUV off the highway and into a stand of trees.
Black Box Data Sealed the State's Case
Prosecutors could not rely on Waterman's own account of what happened. Pre-trial evidentiary rulings by Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols excluded statements Waterman made to investigators from his hospital bed accusing Mumby of intentionally crashing, ruling them inadmissible hearsay, per FlaglerLive. With that avenue closed off, prosecutors turned instead to the vehicle itself. Data from the SUV showed it was traveling 93 to 95 mph three to five seconds before impact, accelerating four seconds before impact and braking two seconds before striking the trees, FlaglerLive reported.
That shift in strategy reflected the legal reality prosecutors faced. Prosecutors initially considered intentional battery allegations, but ultimately tried the case under vehicular homicide, FlaglerLive noted. Defense attorney Reid Hart argued to the jury that the vehicle's departure from the interstate was an unintended accident caused by a sudden distraction or loss of control inside the cabin, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando.
From Paralysis to a Fatal Diagnosis Eight Months Later
The crash left Waterman with a broken neck and paralysis from the neck down, according to the State Attorney's office. He died of pneumonia on October 8, 2025.
Mumby made a 911 call after the crash. Florida Highway Patrol investigated the case, and Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark successfully tried it for the state, per the State Attorney's office.
Prosecutors Point to Statutory Stakes, Family Pursues Custody Fight
Under Florida Statute § 782.071, vehicular homicide is a second-degree felony carrying up to 15 years in prison, while reckless driving causing serious bodily injury is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 5 years, bringing Mumby's cumulative exposure to 20 years. State Attorney R.J. Larizza said the case demonstrates the office's commitment to complicated cases involving technical subject matter, adding that “accountability breeds justice” and that the prosecution exemplifies the mission to make justice a reality for victims, families and communities, according to the State Attorney's office.
The case has also spilled into civil court. Waterman's parents sued Mumby for visitation rights in October 2025, then voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit while reserving the right to refile, according to WJXT. Mumby gave birth to the child while out on bond ahead of trial. Judge Nichols, who presided over the case, will set a sentencing date at a later time.
