Emmett, Idaho — A tragic accident on a rural Idaho road has forever changed the life of Ashley Grimm, a mother of eight, who is now speaking out in raw, emotional detail about the June 2 incident that claimed the life of her youngest son, 4-year-old Titus Grimm.
The accident occurred as Ashley was driving her 13-passenger van along a mountain road near their home in Emmett, returning from an afternoon of baseball with her children. A large boulder suddenly rolled onto the road, causing the vehicle to crash. Grimm managed to rescue five of her children from the wreckage — all of whom were with her that day — but tragically, Titus was killed instantly.
“I lived every mother’s worst fear,” Grimm later shared in a viral Facebook post. “What followed was a blur. I refused treatment from the paramedics until they let me hold my dead son.”
Grimm was later airlifted to a nearby hospital, sedated for shock, while her children were taken by ambulance to receive care. Though physically injured, the emotional trauma of that day has left wounds far deeper.
In the days following the crash, Grimm turned to social media to process her grief. Her post — part memorial, part testimony, part plea — has resonated deeply across the country, shared nearly 400,000 times. But amidst an overwhelming outpouring of support, she also faced cruel judgment from online commenters who criticized her parenting and blamed her for the tragedy.
“I wanted to punch them, shake them,” she wrote. “Tell them how close we were, how hard I fought to keep him safe. That he built me Lego ships, took naps in my bed while holding my hand with his dimpled little fingers.”
For Grimm, the pain of losing Titus is not just a story of grief — it’s a call to others to cherish their moments with loved ones. She writes not to relive the trauma, but to share her son’s memory, and to urge parents everywhere to never take time for granted.
“Hold your babies tight,” she wrote. “Take the picture. Say yes to the long bedtime story. Listen to their jokes. Let them help you with dinner. Make time. Laugh loud. Let them climb into bed with you. Don’t wait for someday.”
The Emmett community has rallied around the Grimm family, offering both emotional and financial support as they navigate unimaginable loss. Titus is remembered as a joyful, imaginative child — full of life, love, and the kind of wonder only a 4-year-old can carry.
As the Grimm family continues to heal, Ashley’s words serve as both a tribute to her son and a powerful reminder of the fragile, sacred nature of life.
“His story is not over,” she wrote. “I will spend my life telling it.”