ByFAIRBANKS, Alaska - Polaris test rider, Erik Johnson pleaded not guilty on Monday to reckless driving. Johnson, a resident from Roseau, Minnesota, made his plea via phone in a Nenana courtroom.
State prosecutors allege 48-year-old Johnson hit Jim Lanier’s dog team with his snowmachine in the Cantwell area on December 11, 2023, killing three dogs and injuring another. According to charging documents, the dog team was driven by musher, Mike Parker. Both men told Alaska State Troopers that darkness and blowing snow impacted visibility.
Mike Parker reported he turned on his 1,000-lumen headlamp when he saw snowmachines in the area. Johnson said he saw a faint light in front of him, but he could not see what it was. Johnson was traveling 40 to 50 mph when he hit the dog team, according to the documents. Polaris Inc., also based in Roseau, Minnesota, was charged with reckless driving and pleaded not guilty, as well, on Monday.Most Read