Snowmachine Driver Who Killed Sled Dogs Faces Charges

Zahrah Patel
·2 min read
Running Husky dog on sled dog racing.
(Photo Credit: TRAVELARIUM | Getty Images)

A Minnesota man has been charged with a misdemeanor after his reckless snowmachine driving led to the deaths of three sled dogs. The tragic event occurred on Dec. 11, 2023, and involved a dog sled team owned by Iditarod musher Jim Lanier.

Reckless snowmachine driver killed 3 sled dogs, faces charges

Erik Johnson, a 48-year-old employee at Polaris Inc., faces charges of reckless driving in connection with a collision that resulted in the tragic deaths of three sled dogs in late 2023. Alaska State Troopers disclosed that Johnson, who was testing snowmachines for Polaris, engaged in driving that posed a “substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm”, as stated in an affidavit dated Feb. 8 — per Alaska’s News Source.

The collision took place along the Denali Highway, a popular spot for Iditarod teams and snowmachine riders. Johnson, from Roseau, Minnesota, encountered the team led by musher Mike Parker, a competitor for Lanier’s Northern Whites Kennel team. This came shortly after Parker completed the Alpine Creek Excursion Race — a 64-mile mushing race in the same area, just two days before the incident.

Consequently, Polaris, through spokesperson Jess Rogers, expressed deep sympathies for the loss endured by the sled dog’s family. “We want to express our deep sympathies to the family that lost three of their beloved sled dogs,” Rogers wrote on Dec. 14, 2023. “Safe riding is central to how we operate, and we are fully cooperating with local law enforcement, as well as conducting our own internal investigation into the accident.”

This incident does not stand alone; rather, it is part of a broader pattern. It follows closely after a similar accident where a snowmachine rider struck one of Dallas Seavey’s dog teams in November, leading to the death of two sled dogs. These occurrences together highlight the need for better safety measures and greater awareness to prevent future tragedies in the sled dog and snowmachining communities.

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