In a bizarre and twisted report from the 1,000-mile Iditarod dog sled race currently taking place in Alaska, a snow mobile driver has plowed through two sled teams, killing one of the dogs.
The man, identified as 26-year-old Arnold Demoski, turned himself in the next morning, telling authorities he was “black out drunk” at the time and only realized what had happened the next day. He expressed remorse and apologized in an interview with KTUU NBC.
“I don’t know how I can possibly make it right,” he said.
Authorities have charged the young man with nine counts of various offenses, including assault and reckless endangerment, but surprising not a DUI.
Mushers with the two sled teams reported Demoski passed them at night at a high rate of speed, clipping their dogs along the way, killing one and inuring two others on one team and wounding another dog on the other team. They said he didn’t even look back.
Mushers Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle were leading the race nearing the end of this grueling adventure from Anchorange to Nome more than 1,000 miles in honor of the early mail carriers and emergency responders.
King told the New York Times he felt the act was “an intentional act of reckless bravado.”
This year’s Iditarod has gone relatively well considering this rare event over the weekend. Organizers were forced to make some last-minute changes to the race opener in Anchorage because of limited snow.
To follow the race up to the minute visit Iditarod.com
Photo credit: Dreamstime