Anchorage police have arrested a man who allegedly drove his car erratically down Brayton Drive near DeArmoun Road Tuesday night, swerving toward at least three people on Brayton and hitting a 14-year-old who was on a skateboard.
Police say 20-year-old Ezra Tuua, who is charged with third-degree assault, told them he was "just messing with the kids" and didn't mean to hit them.
Nonetheless, police say Tuua struck 14-year-old Errol Otto around 9:30 Tuesday night along Brayton, a frontage road that parallels the Seward Highway, leaving him with scrapes on his knees, forearms and back.
Otto says he didn't know Tuua.
Neighbors called 911, and police and medics were dispatched to the scene. The medics attended to Otto, who was walking around when they arrived.
Police arrested Tuua, and court records show he was later released on $1,000 bail.
Several neighbors in the area complain that Brayton drive needs a dedicated sidewalk for the many pedestrians and cyclists that use the road, close to surrounding neighborhoods.
Email Jason Lamb