Suspect arrested in hit-and-run; UT student brain dead

A 20-year-old film student from the University of Tampa is brain dead and on life support after a car ran into him on his way back to campus Saturday morning.

The man accused of hitting Erik Nicoletti and leaving him on the side of the road was arrested Sunday night. Andres Trujillo, of Tampa, was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with injury and is being held at the Orient Road Jail without bail.

While Nicoletti clings to life, the UT community is grappling with its second heartbreak of the semester. In August, senior Ryan McCall, a cross country runner, was shot and killed by a mugger near campus on his way home.

Now, students and university officials are shocked and devastated over what happened to Nicoletti.

"He was modest, humble," said Tom Garrett, an associate professor in the school's Department of Communications and Nicoletti's adviser. "You wanted to be around him. He was easy going but also enthusiastic."

Nicoletti is studying film production at the school. Last year, he was one of 20 students from the school invited to attend the Cannes Film Festival in France.

School officials plan to send an e-mail today to students, faculty and staff about what happened, said Bob Ruday, the university's dean of students. The university will offer counseling to whoever needs it, he said. The school plans to work with Nicoletti's family to hold a memorial service in the near future, Ruday said.

"We are just in shock that this happened," Ruday said. "Our deepest sympathy and our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Erik Nicoletti."

Police say Trujillo, 27, was driving the 1993 beige Chrysler New Yorker that hit Nicoletti, 20, and his friend, Cree Alisha Riley, 19, about 1:15 a.m. Saturday as they crossed West Kennedy Boulevard, just west of North Boulevard.

Nicoletti, a junior who lives on campus, and Riley were both taken to Tampa General Hospital. Riley, who is visiting from out of town, is in serious condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Trujillo was driving west on Kennedy Boulevard at 30 mph - the speed limit, Diaz said. Nicoletti and Riley were crossing Kennedy, heading north, and were still partially in the road when they were struck, Diaz said.

Trujillo told investigators he doesn't remember where he was, that he dropped a cigarette and went to pick it up, then realized he had hit something, Diaz said.

Thinking he had hit a small vehicle or motorcycle, Trujillo panicked and drove off, Diaz said.

He told investigators he had not been drinking alcohol - something police can't verify now, Diaz said.

An hour after Nicoletti and Riley were hit, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office found Trujillo's abandoned car in a ravine at Lambright Street and Dale Mabry Highway, Diaz said. Detectives impounded the car, which had front-end damage and a broken, caved-in windshield. There was blood and hair on the exterior front end of the vehicle, according to Tampa police.

Trujillo seemed remorseful as police walked him out of headquarters Sunday night. He said he had taken off because he was panicked and scared.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry," he told reporters. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Police didn't have Trujillo's current address but called family members, who convinced him to "do the right thing," Diaz said.

Trujillo called detectives at 5 p.m. Sunday and said they could pick him up at his Tampa home, 6420 Coolidge Ave. He confessed to the hit-and-run, Diaz said.

Diaz said Trujillo didn't know he had hit two people until police knocked on his family's door Saturday.

Records show police have arrested Trujillo in the past for disorderly intoxication, robbery and driving while licensed cancelled, suspended or revoked.

He was sentenced in 2007 to one year and a day in prison for battery on a law enforcement officer, records show.

On Saturday morning, he was driving with a valid driver's license, Diaz said. When he was arrested, he violated probation for fraudulent use of a credit card, Diaz said.

Today, university officials will try and use what happened over the weekend to reinforce safety to students.

The school offers safety tips to students and has worked with Yellow Cab Co., which meets with students at orientation and has a cab debit card plan so students don't have to drive home late at night, Ruday said.

"We are concerned about students' safety," Ruday said. "Our mind is to further educate students about student safety."

An emotional Garrett said he is thinking about what to say to students today.

"It's circumstance being at the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "Life is so fragile and fleeting."