"Sled dog's death merits reckless driving charge" runs the headline of a Fairbanks (AK) News-Miner story published last month. Musher Jeff Holt's Iditarod lead dog "Goose" (bought as a yearling from Jeff King) was injured so severely when hit by a car that ran an intersection last October that the dog had to be euthanised.
It's the second time Holt has been the victim of a hit-and-run driver; in 2003 his leader "Chip" was killed by the 16-year old driver of a 6-wheel ATV who literally ran over his team and sled. This time the driver was an individual who failed sobriety tests, fled the scene of the accident, escaped from police when stopped later for another reason, had no driver's license, and now faces one year's imprisonment and a $5000 fine for the "misdemeanour" reckless driving charge. The same individual also faces drunken driving and drug charges in two other cases. Compensation of $4000 is being sought for the dead lead dog, but the perpetrator is unlikely to have the resources to pay either the fine or the compensation.
Those of you who don't live in Alaska might be excused for thinking the place would be heaven for dog drivers. The above situation is a good taste of Alaskan reality. "The last frontier" isn't always the ideal environment for mushers and their teams.
Posted by jjeffrey at August 6, 2005 01:18 PM