A woman has shared a poignant image capturing the last moments of her granddaughter’s life just before the heartbreaking loss of the three-year-old.
Tragically, Scarlett Jensen lost her life in a hit-and-run incident on October 7, 2022. At the time, she was under the care of her grandmother along with her 2-year-old brother, Henry, while their parents, Samantha and her husband, were away attending a wedding.
While the trio was walking in the family’s private driveway in Oldtown, Idaho, an unimaginable event occurred. A Chevy Tahoe sped down the road, striking Scarlett, her grandmother, and Henry.
“My mother was frantically waving her arms and shouting for the driver to stop, trying to pull my children out of harm’s way, but he was going too fast,” Samantha Jensen recounted.
“Scarlett was taken from us almost immediately, and my mom and Henry sustained severe injuries.”
The driver of the Chevy fled on foot but was later caught several miles away and is now serving a ten-year prison sentence.
“Henry was airlifted to the children’s hospital, where doctors discovered a fractured spine, six broken ribs, a broken jaw, a broken collarbone, a liver laceration, and numerous other injuries,” Samantha shared with PEOPLE.
“My mom suffered multiple broken bones but was eventually discharged from the hospital.”
She continued, “Henry spent a week in the PICU before he was stable enough to return home, and he wore a full body brace for ten weeks.”
In the aftermath of this tragedy, the family was engulfed in sorrow, but a small moment of solace came when Samantha discovered a seemingly ordinary photo her mother had taken of Scarlett shortly before the incident.
Jensen shares, “My mom lost her phone during the accident, and it took us some time to locate it. When we finally found it, I started looking through the pictures and came across one.” He continued, “I checked the timestamp and saw it was just five minutes before her time of death, which means it was likely taken just seconds before the collision.”
As reported by PEOPLE, the photo was captured when Scarlett’s grandmother took her two grandchildren out for ice cream.
“When they got back to our driveway, Scarlett wanted to hop out of the stroller to pick some flowers,” Samantha recounted. “That’s when my mom snapped the last picture I have of her alive.”
The grieving mother shared that her days have changed significantly. Some days are harder than others, but the family is working together to cope with their immense sorrow.
“Some days, it feels like I’m sinking, while on others, I manage to stay afloat,” she told PEOPLE. “My entire family is putting in a lot of effort in therapy and trying to heal as much as we can. My faith in the Lord has been a lifeline for me and has greatly aided my healing process.”
Initially, the heartbroken mother found it challenging to look at the last photo of her daughter. However, two years after her passing, Samantha has come to see the image as a cherished reminder of a beautiful life.
“I’m so grateful to have that picture,” she shared with PEOPLE. “It captures the serene essence of her final moments, surrounded by the beauty of her last breaths. I will always envision her joyful and carefree, picking flowers with her best friend and Meemaw.”
