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Snowmobiler drives into 2 Iditarod teams, killing 1 dog Snowmobiler arrested after hitting Iditarod teams, killing 1 dog
(about 7 hours later)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A man on a snowmobile purposely drove into two dog teams competing in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race early Saturday morning, killing one dog and injuring at least three others, officials said. ANCHORAGE — A man suspected of intentionally driving a snowmobile into teams of two mushers near the front of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was arrested Saturday in a Yukon River village.
Mushers Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King were attacked outside the village of Nulato, a community of 236 on the Yukon River a little more than halfway into the 1,000-mile race to Nome. Arnold Demoski, 26, of Nulato was arrested on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and six counts of criminal mischief.
A suspect has been identified by a village police officer. Demoski told the Alaska Dispatch News that he did not intentionally drive into the dog teams of Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King but had blacked out while returning from drinking in another village.
Race marshal Mark Nordman said Saturday that Zirkle, 46, who finished second three times from 2012 to 2014, was mushing from Kokukuk to Nulato, a run of less than 20 miles on the Yukon River, when she was hit. The crashes killed one of King’s dogs and injured two others. One of Zirkle’s dogs also was injured.
The snowmobile hit the side of Zirkle’s sled five miles out of Koyukuk, turned around multiple times and came back at her before driving off, Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said by email. Iditarod officials at first reported that King had been injured. But the four-time champion said later the snowmobile had missed him and his sled.
The snowmobile reappeared 12 miles out of Nulato. The driver revved the engine and pointed the vehicle at Zirkle before leaving, Peters said. Zirkle, 46, who finished second three times from 2012 to 2014, was mushing from Kokukuk to Nulato, a run of less than 20 miles on the Yukon River, when she was hit, race marshal Mark Nordman said Saturday. The snowmobile hit the side of Zirkle’s sled, turned around multiple times and came back at her before driving off, Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.
One dog on Zirkle’s team was bruised. Officials described the injury as non-life-threatening. The snowmobile reappeared 12 miles outside of Nulato. The driver revved the engine and had the vehicle pointed at Zirkle before leaving, Peters said. One dog on her team was bruised.
King, a four-time Iditarod champion, was behind Zirkle and fared worse. Zirkle reached Nulato and told a race official that the incident had left her shaken. “I’m really bad. Someone tried to kill me with a snow machine,” she said on a video posted to the Iditarod Insider Web page.
When King reached the vicinity, he was struck from behind by the snowmobile and at least three of his dogs were hit. King, a four-time Iditarod champion, was behind Zirkle. When King reached the vicinity 12 miles outside of Nulato, his dog team was struck from behind by the snowmobile, killing one of his dogs and injuring two. King remained in Nulato early Saturday afternoon.
Nash, a 3-year-old male, was killed. Crosby, another 3-year-old male, and Banjo, a 2-year-old male, received injuries and are expected to survive. The race leader early Saturday afternoon was Brent Sass, who left the village of Kaltag at 8:20 a.m.
Race officials said King received medical attention in Nulato, but troopers quoted King as saying he was not injured. Troopers also said five of King’s dogs were injured. Zirkle rested four hours in Nulato and dropped one dog before heading back onto the Yukon River with 14 dogs in harness. She reached Kaltag at 10:44 a.m., and after a nine-minute rest, left again in second place.
Zirkle left Nulato with 14 dogs at 6:16 a.m. after dropping one dog in the village. She was in third place. The race leader is former champion Mitch Seavey, who reached Kaltag at 7:41 a.m.
Brent Sass was running second. He left Nulato at 3:43 a.m. Reigning champ Dallas Seavey, the son of Mitch Seavey, was in fourth place. He left Nulato at 7:14 a.m.