The Queen is back! But, unfortunately, her reemergence comes after the tragic death of her father, Robert Maraj. Back in February, Maraj was involved in a hit-and-run incident in Long Island. The 64-year-old was walking in Mineola, NY, on Feb. 12 when a white 1992 Volvo station wagon struck him.
The alleged driver, Charles Polevich, left his vehicle and then asked if Maraj was okay. He then took off running from the scene without calling the police, prosecutors say. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition; heartbreakingly, Maraj passed the next day.
On Friday, the rapper spoke out about her loss on her website. “Tho I can’t really bring myself to discuss the passing of my father as yet; I can say it has been the most devastating loss of my life,” said Nicki.
“I find myself wanting to call him all the time. More so now that he’s gone. Life is funny that way,” she continued. “May his soul rest in paradise. He was very loved & will be very missed.”
On February 17, Polevich turned himself into Nassau County police after police identified him via surveillance footage. The man has pleaded not guilty to two charges of leaving the scene of an incident and tampering with physical evidence before being freed on bail. In March, Carol Maraj, Nicki’s mother, filed a $150 million lawsuit against Polevich over negligence.
Polevich’s lawyer said his client has a “tremendous amount of empathy for the family [and] the loss that they’ve suffered,” Page Six reports.
COMMENTS