Three sled dogs were killed and another injured after a snowmobile crashed into a team of mushers in Alaska, according to state police.
The snowmobile collided with a sled dog machine along the Denali Highway around 5:30 p.m. Monday near the remote town of Cantwell – about 210 miles north of Anchorage, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Musher Mike Parker confirmed in a heartbreaking Facebook post on Tuesday that he was handling veteran dog team Jim Lanier when he collided with the snowmachine.
Three dogs died in the collision.
John Lennon, a 4.5-year-old male dog died from the impact. Buttercup, a 7-year-old girl, died on the trail; and Solo, a 3-year-old girl, died in his arms in the truck as they rushed to an animal hospital in Wasilla.
Mike Parker and his dogs Solo and KitKat, who were hit in the crash. Solo died and KitKat suffered a broken femur. Facebook/Mike Parker Solo died in the truck on the way to the hospital. Buttercup died on the trail. Facebook/Mike Parker
KitKat, a 7-year-old female, suffered a fractured femur and other injuries and is awaiting surgery, Parker said. No other dogs and no people were injured in the crash.
Parker said he has been training for his rookie run in the legendary Iditarod race and has participated in qualifying races, including Saturday’s Alpine Creek Excursion Race, a 64-mile event run Saturday from Cantwell to Alpine Creek Lodge where he finished 5th overall . .
“Words cannot describe how important and meaningful these animals are to me and the Laniers,” she wrote. “From a sled dog perspective, they are all great leaders who have competed in the Iditarod, won the Kobuk 440, and shined in countless other races, including setting the speed record in the Hal Bartko Nome Sign 40 with me last year and helping me complete two Iditarod qualifying races.
John Lennon was killed on impact on the route. Facebook/Mike Parker Jim Lanier’s dog, “KitKat,” underwent surgery after the accident.
“As friends they are sweet, gentle and full of personality,” he continued. “They truly embody the spirit of Alaska and will live on through their teammates and in my heart.”
The crash area is a popular training location for dog sled teams in the winter. Iditarod race director Mark Nordman told local channel KTUU. Lanier, 82, finished 16 Iditarod races between 1976 and 2013.
The driver of the snowmobile stayed behind to help after the crash, police said. State troopers said that alcohol did not appear to be a factor. No arrests were made or citations issued, police said.
“I hope no other musher has to go through the horrible experience I did on the trail,” Parker said. “For this to happen so soon after a similar incident on the Denali Highway is unthinkable.”
On Nov. 17, five-time Iditarod winner Dallas Seavey’s sled team was hit by a snowmachine, killing two dogs, according to KTUU. The snowmaker in the incident was cited for careless driving.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
