Guy Busted in Fatal Iditarod Hit, Says He Was Drunk

The 26-year-old Alaskan who says he was driving blackout drunk when he hit two Iditarod sled dog teams Saturday, killing one dog and injuring others, has been arrested and charged on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and six counts of criminal mischief, reports the Los Angeles Times. Arnold Demoski of Nulato is speaking quite freely with media, telling KTUU that the incident was not "intentional. That's not me. I don't do stuff like that." Mushers Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle, who were hit, beg to differ, telling authorities they believe the incident was intentional.

King's 3-year-old dog, Nash, was killed. "One of my dogs was killed pretty much on the spot, and a couple others I gave first aid to the best I could and loaded them into my sled," King says, per the AP. "I kind of felt like a triage ambulance." Demoski says he woke up after the morning after a night of drinking to discover that his snowmobile was missing its hood and had fresh, rust-colored stains on its sides. He called the village police officer to confess, he says. Asked whether he should face jail, Demoski tells KTUU that although he hopes to avoid it, he probably should go "for at least some time." (More Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race stories.)