Killed newborn's father on suspected driver: 'He's a coward'

Three-month-old Jayden Wayman died from his injuries Tuesday after being taken off of life support at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

The boy was injured Sunday near the intersection of 70th Avenue East and 20th Street East when a car ran a red light and broadsided the vehicle he was riding in with his father.

In court on Thursday, the boy's 5-year-old brother, Katana Wayman, clung to her family members they faced Matthew Hamilton, the suspected driver in the case.

Rows of relatives watched as Hamilton pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide, driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene.

"He's a coward," said the killed boy's father, Jon Wayman. "How can you run when there could be people hurt?"

Hamilton, 26, told detectives he didn't know anyone had been hurt when he ran from the scene of the crash, which he'd done so because he had a suspended license.

"Didn't stop to see if anyone was hurt. He didn't care. He ran away and we had to go find him," said Fife Police Lt. Tom Thompson. Jon Wayman's wife and daughter were following in a separate car, and witnessed the wreck.

"My daughter just talked about Daddy and Jayden spinning in the car. She'll be haunted by this the rest of her life," the grief-stricken father said. "My wife was running over, and I held him and he was breathing and gasping for air every 45 seconds. But (we) thought it was a minor injury and he'd be fine."

But the newborn fell limp in paramedics arms, and doctors told the parents his brain damage was so severe he'd never live a normal life.

"(We were) just hoping he would live with it, and we'd deal with everything that came with it," said the father.

Jon Wayman said he's a forgiving man, but hopes Hamilton faces the maximum sentence if convicted. And he hopes his son's death will save three other lives.

"It's one of the blessings that came out of this. His heart has gone to a 2 or 3 month old in Colorado," he said.

Jayden Wayman's liver went to a 2-month-old baby at Children's Hospital, and his kidneys went to a baby back east.

Court records show Hamilton has nine prior juvenile convictions, an adult felony for escape, a DUI conviction and 10 arrest warrants against him.

A candlelight vigil for Jayden Wayman's was held at Central Park on Thursday night.