By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

LOVAN Christie wishes she could say just one more thing to her sons: “Don’t leave mummy.”

It’s been over nine months since a tragic car crash in New Providence claimed the lives of all three of her sons — Philip McCarron Christie, 24, Philip D’Caprio Christie, 23, and D’Angelo Christie, 20. And while the rest of the world has moved on, she remains frozen in the moment her life shattered.

“I still am broken. Only God could do what no man can do. Right now, I’m riding out my storm,” Mrs Christie said tearfully, her voice trembling as she hummed a gospel hymn. “Day and night I do cry for my children. Every time I look at something belonging to them, my heart breaks.”

This is the first time the 57-year-old mother is speaking publicly since the early morning crash on September 2, 2024, along Sir Milo Butler Highway, a tragedy that sent ripples of grief across the country.

“I wanted to speak for mothers who have lost their strength through tragedy,” she said. “Because this pain, this is not something you ever get over.”

The three Christie brothers had left their quiet life in Andros and relocated to New Providence, chasing bigger dreams. It was Philip D’Caprio who led the way, Mrs Christie explained. He was deeply motivated and, recognising the lack of economic opportunity in Andros, made the move first. Once he got on his feet in New Providence, he encouraged his younger and older brothers to join him, determined to help them find better prospects.

She raised her four children — three sons and an eldest daughter — with her late husband, who died from a heart attack when the kids were still young. After his death, her sons became her anchors, reflections of the man she once loved.

“They weren’t just my children. They were my best friends,” she said. “The greatest gift I ever had is my children.”

The night before the accident, her youngest sent her a photo of his new tattoo: “God is with me,” surrounded by crosses. A day later, they were gone.

She remembers the call that changed her life. A woman on the phone said there had been a crash. When Mrs Christie asked if her sons were okay, silence followed. The woman urged her to gather her family.

Soon, a male relative close to her sons arrived in tears. “When he looked at me, the water burst out of his eyes because he always used to be with them,” she said. “I knew right then.”

Despite being described as responsible drivers, the circumstances of the crash remain unclear. Mrs Christie said her son Philip D’Caprio had been driving.

She flew to New Providence to retrieve her sons’ belongings. Initially, a senior officer of the Road Traffic Department was supportive. But when she later asked about D’Caprio’s missing wallet and a sentimental hand chain that once belonged to their father, she said the tone changed.

“He shouted at me, accused me of saying they stole the items,” she said. “He said a lot of people were at the scene before police arrived. I left in tears. I never got those things back.”

Since that day, life has blurred into survival. “I’m alive, but I’m on autopilot,” she said. “Only the word of God is keeping me going.”

Now, she’s calling for a national Remembrance Day to honour lives lost in sudden tragedies like traffic accidents, drownings, shootings, and plane or boat crashes.

“I may have lost three at one time, but there are many others who’ve lost someone just as dear. Nobody expects a sudden death. And nobody has a Remembrance Day for those people,” she said.