Arrest in hit and run near UT

Tampa - Tampa police say they've arrested 27-year-old Andres Trujillo in the hit and run accident that critically injured a University of Tampa Student and his friend.

Trujillo is charged with hit and run involving a serious injury.

He's being held at The Orient Road Jail.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," explained Trujillo as he was led out of the Tampa Police Station.

Police say Trujillo confessed to the hit and run around 5p.m. Sunday afternoon.

The 27-year-old says he had not been drinking early Saturday morning when the accident happened.

According to police, Trujillo told them he had dropped a lit cigarette and bent down in the car to pick it up.

That's when police say he hit 20-year-old Erik Nicoletti and his friend Cree Riley who was visiting from out of town.

Trujillo maintains he thought he hit a small vehicle. He panicked and fled the scene.

It wasn't until later in the day, when police were knocking on family members doors, that Trujillo says he realized what he had done.

Police say it was pressure from family members that prompted Trujillo to turn himself in.

"We all agree that that was a tragedy out there and you know we're sorry for both families; The Riley family and the Nicoletti family. It was very important, at least for them, to have a little bit of closure and hopefully things will get better. But Mr. Nicoletti is not (getting better) and at least his family has some closure that the person who did this is in custody," according to Lt. Jack Diaz with The Tampa Police Dept.

Shortly after the arrest police announced that Nicoletti had been declared brain dead and was on life support.

Riley was in stable condition and improving. If Nicoletti doesn't survive, the charges against Trujillo would become more serious.