Nicki Minaj and mom
A $150 million lawsuit has been filed against the man charged for his involvement in the hit-and-run death of Robert Maraj, Nicki Minaj’s father.
On Friday, Minaj’s mother, Carol Maraj, had attorneys file the lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, a statement released by Ben Crump Law read.
“He was fatally injured in a hit-and-run accident on February 12, 2021, when he was struck by a car being driven by Charles Polevich as Mr. Maraj walked along a Long Island road. After striking Maraj, Polevich left the accident scene and did not call for emergency services or render aid to Maraj,” Crump wrote on his verified social media accounts.
“He was not only irresponsible and negligent, but more concerned about running away and hiding than seeking help,” Crump’s post continued. “Polevich’s behaviour was criminal, cowardly, and immoral. We will hold him responsible for his reckless actions that led to Robert Maraj’s death!”
Polevich’s attorney, Marc C. Gann, sent the following statement to Billboard: “Mr. Polevich has expressed empathy and condolences to the Maraj family. While the civil suit is not unexpected, the criminal charges pending against Mr. Polevich have no bearing on the civil case.
“It has yet to be determined whether there was any negligence involved in the accident or the degrees of any negligence. I will add that the amount demanded is shocking to say the least and I don’t believe is in any way reasonable.”
Robert Maraj, Minaj’s dad, was struck by a car in Mineola, New York. He was then taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead on February 13.
Police arrested Polevich, who faced charges of leaving the scene of an incident and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death of Maraj.
“He was absolutely aware of what happened,” Nassau County Police Detective Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said at a news conference last month, according to the Associated Press. “He got out of the car and he looked at the deceased, got into his car, and made the conscious decision to leave instead of dialing 911, instead of calling an ambulance for the man. He went home and secluded the vehicle. He’s well aware of what he did.”
Minaj, who has spoken in the past about having a strained relationship with her father, has not made any public statement about his death.
-Hollywood Reporter