The grief stricken mother of 25-year-old Oniqua Nikki Phillip, who was run over by a truck on Carnival Tuesday, is hitting back at the public for blaming her daughter for her own death.
Since the tragic incident over a week ago, there has been widespread speculation in some quarters that “excessive alcohol consumption and careless behaviour” may have led to the young woman’s demise.
“This little girl that they say is that, this and that, this is not that child. This is a child that went away for college and nothing ever happened to her for 25 years,” Novella Phillip told OBSERVER media.
“She graduated with a Bachelors in psychology and got a job as a social worker right away. After working for a while, she decided she wanted to pursue a Bachelors in Nursing,” the woman added.
Novella Phillip said contrary to the circulating reports, her daughter was a very responsible individual who graduated early from Penn State University and was one year away from completing a degree in Nursing. The mother said although Oniqua was born in the United States, she is accustomed to visiting Antigua for vacation.
On the weekend, the distressed mother used social media and US networks to thank the majority of the Antiguan community for their outpouring of support. She, however, complained of not being contacted by the Festivals Commission or receiving adequate information from the police.
She is also critical of people posting pictures of the incident, saying the pain it caused her family was unbearable. The woman said she is demanding answers from the police of what exactly occurred and how it could be prevented in the future.