A devastated mum said her world "blew up" as she was told the tragic news that her daughter had died in a three-car crash.
Gracie Estep, 26, was a passenger when the Fiat 500 she was travelling in was involved in a collision with a silver BMW and a white Toyota in Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday.
Her mum Sandra Estep said Gracie, who leaves behind two of her own kids, was the 'love of her life' as she paid an emotional tribute.
She said every time she mentions her daughter's name she can't stop crying.
Sandra told how the crash happened in front of a block of flats and says she was told by residents that at 5pm - when the incident happened - a rainbow spread across the sky.
She said she believes it was her daughter's way of telling them she was still with them in some way.
Speaking to The Sun, Sandra said: "I just can’t get it in my head that I’m never going to see her again. Her poor two babies.
"It’s so tragic. I’m absolutely devastated. She only went to get KFC with her friend who is in intensive care still."
The devastated mum added: "I had her when I was 34 so she was just the love of my life - the love of our life."
Gracie was described as a "wonderful" mum to her two children Alfie, four, and Ruby, three.
Sandra said Gracie gave her kids everything.
Sandra had just celebrated her 34th wedding anniversary with husband Bill two days before the tragedy - and said it was the worst thing that could happen to a parent.
Devastated friends of Gracie, who was in her 20s, branded her a "beautiful soul" and an "amazing mother".
Three others were injured in the crash, police said.
Sergeant Tom Daly, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family of the young woman who sadly lost her life, and we are conducting extensive enquiries to determine the circumstances of the collision.
“We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision and has not yet spoken with police.
"Equally, if you have a working dash cam fitted to your vehicle and you were travelling along St Albans Road at the time of the incident, we would like to hear from you.
“If you live in the vicinity of the collision and have either CCTV or a doorbell camera fitted to your property, please get in touch as you may have captured something of interest.”
