Florida Woman Convicted of Vehicular Homicide in Crash That Killed Boyfriend
Leigha Mumby, 25, was found guilty of vehicular homicide and reckless driving after deliberately crashing her car at nearly 100 mph.
A Florida woman has been convicted of vehicular homicide and reckless driving after deliberately crashing her car at nearly 100 mph, killing her boyfriend just hours after she learned she was pregnant. The verdict against Leigha Mumby, 25, comes in a case bearing striking similarities to that of Mackenzie Shirilla, who was convicted in 2023 of vehicular murder.
Mumby was driving at speeds up to 110 mph on Interstate 95 in Flagler County in February 2025 while arguing with her boyfriend, Daniel Waterman, 22. She suddenly veered off the highway and crashed into several trees. Waterman was left in a coma, paralyzed from a broken neck.
He awoke briefly to tell authorities that Mumby had intentionally crashed the vehicle before succumbing to pneumonia in October 2025. Mumby also sustained injuries in the crash but has since recovered and given birth to the child she was carrying.
Prosecutors stated that the argument between Mumby and Waterman escalated after she discovered her pregnancy and learned he had been texting another woman. Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark told the jury that Mumby had abruptly ended a call with a friend after venting about the situation, indicating her state of mind at the time of the crash.
Mumby's defense attorney, Reid Hart, argued that there was no evidence she intended to harm herself or her unborn child, suggesting she was not on a "suicide mission." He claimed her actions to avoid the crash demonstrated she never intended for it to happen.
Jurors deliberated for just over an hour before returning the guilty verdicts on charges of vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. Mumby's sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
The case draws parallels to that of Mackenzie Shirilla, who was convicted in Ohio in 2023 of killing her boyfriend and his friend by intentionally crashing her car into a brick warehouse at 100 mph. Shirilla, then 17, was driving at 100 mph when the crash occurred in 2022, resulting in the deaths of Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19. A judge had referred to her as "literal hell on wheels." Shirilla is currently serving a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Earlier this year, an Ohio judge denied her attempt to have her case reopened, concluding her state appeals.