A grieving mother has shared the heartbreaking final photo of her three-year-old daughter—taken just minutes before her life was tragically cut short.
On October 7, 2022, Samantha Jensen and her husband attended a wedding, leaving their daughter Scarlett and younger son Henry in the care of their grandmother, Jamie, in Oldtown, Idaho. That afternoon, the children enjoyed ice cream and a walk, savoring the sunshine and laughter.
As they returned home, Scarlett asked to step out of her stroller to pick flowers. Jamie snapped a photo of her granddaughter at 4:47 p.m.—unaware it would be the last image ever captured of her.
Moments later, a speeding Chevy Tahoe barreled down the driveway, striking Jamie, Scarlett, and Henry. Despite Jamie’s desperate attempts to pull the children to safety, the vehicle hit Scarlett, killing her almost instantly, while Jamie and Henry were critically injured.
The driver fled on foot but was arrested a few miles away and later sentenced to 10 years in prison. Henry was airlifted to a children’s hospital with devastating injuries, including a fractured spine, six broken ribs, a broken jaw, a broken collarbone, and a liver laceration. Jamie also suffered multiple fractures but was released sooner. Henry spent a week in the PICU and wore a full-body brace for 10 weeks during recovery.
Weeks after the tragedy, Samantha discovered her mother’s lost phone and found the photo of Scarlett—taken just five minutes before her death. Though it was initially too painful to look at, Samantha came to treasure it.
“I am so incredibly thankful to have that photo,” Samantha said. “It captures the peacefulness of her last moments—the beauty she was surrounded by. I will forever picture her happy and carefree, picking flowers with her best friend and Meemaw.”