I’ve mentioned that I get the Anchorage Daily News in my email box.
Breaking news indicates that a snowmachiner stalked (as I read it) Aliy Zirkle, and had encounters with the other lead team of Jeff King’s.
Zirkle had her dog sled hit on the side by a snowmachine about five miles below the village of Koyukuk on the Yukon River. Troopers reported that the snowmachine turned around multiple times and came back at her before driving away. Zirkle later had contact with the snowmachine again approximately 12 miles before reaching Nulato, where the snowmachine revved up and pointed at her before finally leaving the area. Zirkle was not injured but one dog was bruised during the incident.
Unbelievable!
King’s team was struck, according to a press release from the Iditarod Trail Committee, resulting in the death of 3-year-old Nash and non-life threatening injuries to two others: 2-year-old Banjo and 3-year-old Crosby. A dog in Zirkle’s team also received a non-life threatening injury. The dog was not named in the release.
The snowmachiner claimed the tragedy occurred while he was blacked-out drunk on his vehicle.