Nicki Minaj’s mother has filed a $150 million lawsuit in the death of her husband.
On Friday (March 19), attorneys for Carol Maraj filed the suit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York following the hit-and-run death of Robert Maraj last month.
“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,” read a statement released by Ben Crump Law. “After striking Maraj, Polevich left the accident scene and did not call for emergency services or render aid to Maraj.”
Maraj, 64, was struck by a 1992 white Volvo station wagon allegedly driven by Polevich while walking in Mineola, New York. He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, where he died the next day.
“He was not only irresponsible and negligent, but more concerned about running away and hiding than seeking help,” Crump wrote on Instagram. “Polevich’s behavior was criminal, cowardly, and immoral. We will hold him responsible for his reckless actions that led to Robert Maraj’s death!”
Polevich, 71, turned himself in to law enforcement on Feb. 17 and was charged with two felonies, leaving the scene of an accident that led to death and tampering with or suppressing physical evidence. Police say after striking Maraj, Polevich walked over to him, asked if he was OK, and then fled the scene. He also allegedly concealed his Volvo in a garage at his house. Polevich pled not guilty and is free on a $250,000 bond.
“My client empathizes with the family. The question of whether there was negligence and degrees of negligence will be determined by the court. The $150 million amount seems to be over the top,” Polevich’s attorney, Marc Craig Gann, told TMZ.
“He was absolutely aware of what happened,” Det. Steven Fitzpatrick said at a news conference. “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 had a strained relationship with her father, has not publicly commented on her father’s death.