Trial Begins for Florida Woman Accused of Deadly Crash Involving Boyfriend

<p>A Florida woman is on trial for allegedly crashing an SUV with her boyfriend inside, resulting in his death months later. Leigha Mumby, 25, has pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury in the case involving Daniel Waterman, 22, who survived the crash on February 9, 2025, but died eight months later.</p><p>During the trial, Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark presented evidence that the SUV was traveling at speeds exceeding 100 mph before the crash on Interstate 95 in Flagler County. Vehicle data indicated it was moving at 94 mph just before making a sharp left turn that led it off the highway and into the woods.</p><p>Waterman suffered a broken neck and was left paralyzed, later falling into a coma. His death on October 8, 2025, was described by Clark as directly related to the crash. However, the jury will not hear Waterman's account of the incident, which he provided to detectives from his hospital bed before he died. He claimed that Mumby deliberately swerved off the road following an argument over another woman's text message. A judge ruled that these statements were inadmissible in court.</p><p>Mumby's defense attorney, Reid Hart, argued that the crash was a tragedy and suggested that something unexpected may have occurred inside the vehicle that led to the abrupt turn. He questioned whether Mumby had control over the vehicle at the time of the incident.</p><p>Testimony from Sarah Stappenbeck, Waterman's cousin and Mumby's best friend, indicated that Mumby had expressed concerns about Waterman's communication with other women earlier that day. Stappenbeck recounted a phone call in which Mumby was upset about Waterman's texting another girl and stated she was bringing him back to the house.</p><p>After the crash, Stappenbeck received a call from Mumby's roommate informing her of the incident. The trial is ongoing, and the prosecution's case is hindered by the exclusion of Waterman's statements regarding the crash.</p><p>Mumby was arrested in July 2025 and initially charged with reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Following Waterman's death, the charges were upgraded to include vehicular homicide. She was released on a $150,000 bond.</p><p>The trial has drawn attention amid discussions of another case involving a young woman convicted of intentionally driving into a building with her boyfriend inside, resulting in fatalities.</p>