@samjensen44/TikTok
A family in Oldtown, Idaho, is mourning the tragic loss of their three-year-old daughter, Scarlett, who was killed just minutes after a “happy” photo was taken by her grandmother. The photo, which has since gone viral on TikTok, was shared by Scarlett’s mother, Samantha Jensen, who reflected on the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding its capture.
“My mom took this picture at 4:47 pm, and my daughter’s time of death was 4:52,” Jensen wrote. “My mom didn’t know she was capturing the last moments of her life. This one is really hard for me to look at, just knowing what comes next breaks my heart.”
Jensen was out of town attending a wedding when the tragedy occurred, leaving her mother, Jamie, in charge of watching Scarlett and her two-year-old brother, Henry. That fateful afternoon, the family decided to indulge in ice cream and take a stroll. When they returned home to their back driveway, Scarlett wanted to get out of her stroller to pick flowers, which is when her grandmother captured the final photo.
Unfortunately, their peaceful outing turned into a nightmare. While walking in their private driveway, a Chevy Tahoe came speeding down the road, hitting all three family members. “My mother was waving her hands, screaming for him to stop, and she tried to grab my children to move them out of the way, but he was going too fast,” Jensen recounted. “Scarlett was killed almost instantly, and my mom and Henry were critically injured.”
The local NBC affiliate, KHQ, later reported that the driver sped away from the scene but was apprehended by authorities a few miles away. Both Jamie and Henry were rushed to Sacred Heart Hospital. While Henry was placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for his injuries, Jamie suffered a broken shoulder in the accident. Thankfully, Henry has since been moved to another area of the hospital as he continues to recover.
In remembering his granddaughter, Jim Patton, Scarlett’s grandfather, said, “It is a blessing we had Scarlett; she had a perfect life, just surrounded and filled with love every day. A piece of my soul is gone.” He described her as “so full of life, so full of love,” noting that she had just started school and was excited about her upcoming soccer match, where she had recently kicked a goal.
Now, Patton focuses on praying for Henry’s recovery. “He’s a tough boy,” he remarked. Hospital staff reported that Henry was admitted with multiple injuries, including eight broken ribs, a fractured spine, a broken clavicle, and a broken jaw. Jensen explained that Henry spent a week in the PICU before being stable enough to return home, where he wore a full-body brace for ten weeks.
Weeks after the accident, Jamie realized that the last photo she had taken was of Scarlett just moments before the tragedy. “My mom lost her phone when they were hit, and it took us a while to find it,” Jensen shared. “When we finally did, I looked at the timestamp and realized it was only five minutes before her declared time of death.”
The driver, a 23-year-old from Newport, was apprehended and taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries. He is now serving a ten-year prison sentence, with two years credited for time served, according to Jensen. In the wake of Scarlett’s death, a GoFundMe campaign has been established to help cover funeral expenses. As of Friday, the fundraiser has raised an impressive $66,811, reflecting the outpouring of support from the community during this devastating time.
