One member of the 1st Hussars and two from the 4th Battalion were killed in the crash at about 3 a.m. in Sheffield, N.B., about 44 kilometres from CFB Gagetown. It remained under investigation by the Oromocto RCMP detachment.
In a post on a 1st Hussars-related Facebook page, Lt.-Col Chris Vandenberg, commander of the London-based regiment, said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the “terrible news” of the crash.
“The next few days will be a difficult for the unit,” he said.
In addition to the 1st Hussars reservist, two officers from the 4th Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, based in London and Stratford, also were killed, Vandenberg said.
A spokesperson for the 4th Battalion, who didn’t give his name, said the unit “didn’t have a lot of information to pass on” and wasn’t releasing the names of the two officers.
The RCMP said they are not releasing the names of the victims or where they were from. Autopsies will be scheduled to help identify the victims, and to determine the causes of death, police said.
The First Hussars are an armoured reconnaissance regiment based in London and Sarnia. The 4th Battalion is a reserve infantry unit based in London and Stratford.
Reservists are part-timers who spend part of their career training for and being available for military service when needed. They also assist with natural disaster relief and recovery efforts. They often train on weekends and weeknights