A veteran Iditarod musher was struck and injured Tuesday night by a driver who left the roadway and crashed into her team near Willow.
Karin Hendrickson is recovering from a broken back and broken leg.
Hendrickson is a four-time Iditarod finisher. She was preparing for the 2015 race in March.
A spokeswoman for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Patty Sullivan, says Hendrickson just before 8 p.m. was running her team along the Parks Highway near Mile 91 when it was struck.
Sullivan says Hendrickson was in serious condition. A helicopter was dispatched to transport her to a hospital but was unable to land because of poor weather.
Sullivan says the crash scattered Hendrickson’s sled dogs and one was missing Tuesday night.