On January 9, at about 10:15 a.m. the Pima County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a pedestrian who was hit by a vehicle in the foothill’s intersection of Swan Road and Sunrise Drive.
Deputies from responded and found a male individual in the roadway, just north of the intersection in the northbound lanes. Civilians were administering first aid, but 19-year-old Dimitri Thomas Makansi was declared deceased on scene.
Investigators learned that witnesses reported seeing Mr. Makansi step into the roadway prior to him being hit. When a Ford pickup truck travelled northbound, Mr. Makansi stepped into the roadway and the 60-year-old male driver attempted to avoid him; however, the pedestrian ended up underneath the truck and was rolled over.
Investigators believe that this was an intentional act by Mr. Makansi. The driver of the pickup truck was going at or below the speed limit and will not be cited. Alcohol was not a factor.