Earlier this week, it was reported that Nicki Minaj‘s father, Robert Maraj, 64, died following a hit-and-run in Long Island. Now, Page Six is reporting that the driver who allegedly killed Maraj has turned himself in to the authorities. The publication noted that the driver, identified as Charles Polevich, 70, turned himself in on Wednesday morning following the tragic incident that took place on Friday.
Polevich was reportedly driving in his 1992 Volvo on Friday night on Roslyn Road. He allegedly hit Maraj, who was walking in the same direction as the vehicle, at around 6:15 p.m. local time. A criminal complaint against Polevich reads, “The defendant then exited his vehicle, stood over the victim, asked him if ‘he was ok’, walked and returned to his vehicle and fled the scene.” During a press conference about the matter, Nassau County Police Detective Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick, the commanding officer of the homicide squad, shared more details about the incident.
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“He got out of the car and he looked at the deceased and got into the car and made the conscious decision to leave,” Fitzpatrick said. “Instead of dialing 911 or calling an ambulance, he went home and secreted his vehicle.” Maraj, who lived nearby the scene of the incident, was reportedly walking in the roadway as there was a great amount of snow in the location at the time. Maraj was subsequently rushed to the hospital and listed in critical condition. Over the weekend, he reportedly succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities were able to identity Polevich after they looked into surveillance footage that depicted his distinctive vehicle. Fitzpatrick said, “We were able to track that vehicle prior to the accident as well as after the accident and tracked it right to his house.” The officer added that Polevich allegedly hid his car in his garage. Police have said that if Polevich had not fled the scene, the incident may have been determined to have been an auto accident with no criminal charges. However, due to the fact that Polevich fled the scene, police are unable to determine whether he was under the influence at the time of the incident.
Minaj has not yet publicly commented on the news of her father’s passing. Her last post on Instagram came on Jan. 9 when she posted a selfie with Blac Chyna. Even though she has not released a public statement about this tragic news, a representative for the rapper did confirm to TMZ that her father, Maraj, died following this hit-and-run incident.
