Man wakes up from coma, makes surprising revelation about pregnant girlfriend, then dies
A young father-to-be woke up from a months-long coma just long enough to blame his girlfriend for the smash that injured him – but he’s now dead and she claims no memory of the crash
Daniel Waterman, 22, was driving with his pregnant girlfriend when their car hit a tree, leaving him a coma. When he awoke months later, he reportedly told detectives that she’d sped up and deliberately caused the crash.
“I don’t care what happens,” he claimed she said as she was behind the wheel. “You’ll get what you deserve.”
After making this chilling accusation, however, he slipped back into his coma. Several months later he died without ever returning to consciousness.
His partner, Leigha Mumby, 24, meanwhile, claims to have no memory of the tragic accident, only that she woke up after the crash “in agonising pain”.
Waterman suffered terrible injuries following the accident, which happened on February 9, ending up in a coma with shattered bones, spinal damage, and punctured lungs. But he regained consciousness in May, just long enough to deliver the harrowing message to detectives using a whiteboard.
Although barely able to speak, Waterman made sounds to indicate the letters he wished to use, which officers pointed at on the board. In the shock revelation, Waterman said a fiery row had erupted between him and Mumby after they found out she was pregnant.
She was also furious about a text message he’d received from a female friend, whom his mother said simply shared his passion for sports. The row ignited while the pair were driving along Interstate 95 in Florida’s Flagler County, with Mumby allegedly behind the wheel.
Waterman told offers that the argument escalated when the pregnant woman began to drive recklessly. Waterman tried to open the door and roll out to safety when the car slowed down to about 50 mph, he said.
But he claimed that Mumby then sped up to between 80 and 90 mph. Mumby had said: “I don’t care what happens.
“You’ll get what you deserve”, he said, before she deliberately drove the car off the road and into a tree. Mumby was also badly injured but pulled through and has since given birth.
She claims not to know what led to the crash, only that she woke up “in agonising pain”. In court papers, though, investigators said that Waterman’s account matches the car’s event data recorder.
Waterman had seemed to be recovering and Mumby was charged in July with reckless driving, causing serious bodily injury, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Nevertheless, Waterman tragically passed away on October 8 after suffering from pneumonia.
Mumby was then charged with vehicular homicide and booked into the Flagler County Jail. Waterman’s devastated mum Heather said: “He never gave up.
“This whole entire time, he literally never gave up.” CNY Central reports that Waterman’s family is fighting for custody of the baby, pending the results of a paternity test.
His grandfather, Michael Gilman, said: “We can’t let the baby grow up with a mom that could possibly do this.” Mumby has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges of reckless driving, causing serious bodily injury, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, online court records show.
These records do not indicate a plea for the homicide charge, as per People.
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