A 22-year-old father-to-be briefly woke from a coma after a devastating car crash and shared a heartbreaking account of what he said happened moments before the accident. Months later, his family continues to seek justice while hoping his newborn daughter will one day know who her father was.

Daniel Waterman was critically injured on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2025 when the vehicle driven by his pregnant girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, crashed into a tree in Flagler County, Florida. He was hospitalized for months before passing away on October 8, 2025. Just three days later, Mumby gave birth to their daughter.

Before his death, Daniel regained consciousness for a short time and told his family about the moments leading up to the crash. According to his aunt Tiffany Waterman, the couple had been arguing after Mumby became upset over a message Daniel received from a longtime female friend. She said the argument escalated, and Daniel became frightened as the car’s speed increased.

Daniel reportedly told his family that he tried to leave the moving vehicle because of his fear from a previous accident. His last memory before the crash was hearing words that deeply affected his family: “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve.”

Mumby was later charged with vehicular homicide, and the case is moving through the legal system. Daniel’s grandfather Michael Gilman says the family is determined to keep their promise to him: to fight for justice and make sure his daughter grows up knowing the father she never had the chance to meet.