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Minnesota native leads Iditarod sled dog race across Alaska

Crosby, another 3-year-old male, and Banjo, a 2-year-old male, received non-life threatening injuries.

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The same snowmobile approached her again 12 miles (19.31 kilometers) from Nulato but left.

One dog has been killed and multiple dogs have been injured by a snowmobiler in what appears to be an intentional attack on competitors in the Iditarod Race in Alaska.

Aliy (AL’-ee) Zirkle is still looking for her first Iditarod win after finishing in the top five the last four years.

A 26-year-old man has been taken into custody on suspicion of crashing his snowmachine into two Iditarod mushers early Saturday morning.

Zirkle reported the attack when she arrived in Nulato, Alaska, in the wee hours of the morning, and race officials and law enforcement were notified.

King, a four-time Iditarod champion, was behind Zirkle and fared worse. Fellow racer Jeff King experienced the same thing, as the driver attempted several times to run him over – killing one of his dogs and injuring two others.

Reporter Emily Schwing tells our Newscast unit that King’s sled has lights and reflectors. “It seemed like an act of bravado and playing chicken”.

Troopers say Zirkle was not injured, but one of her dogs was bruised.

Iditarod race officials say mushers Rick Casillo and Scott Janssen have scratched from the 2016 Iditarod race.

Police believe the same person is involved in both incidents, according to its preliminary report.

The Iditarod Trail Committee said both racers will continue.

King requested medical treatment for his dogs at the checkpoint and did not report any injuries himself.

Demoski was charged Saturday with two counts of third-degree assault, one count of reckless endangerment, one count of reckless driving and six counts of fifth-degree criminal mischief. He had 11 dogs on his team when he made the decision.

Sass, of Eureka, Alaska, who won the grueling Yukon Quest in 2015, left Nulato – 582 miles into the 975-mile race – at 3:34 a.m. Alaska time Saturday, heading down the 47-mile trail to Kaltag.

Musher Nathan Schroeder of Warba was was listed in 28th place early Saturday, resting in Galena.

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Reigning champ Dallas Seavey, the son of Mitch Seavey, was in fourth place.

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