Three people, two horses dead following head-on collision near Belledune, N.B.

BELLEDUNE N.B. - Three people and two horses are dead following a head-on collision on Highway 11 near Belledune, N.B.

At approximately 11 a.m. Saturday, Bathurst RCMP responded to the crash between two pickup trucks, one of which was hauling a trailer with two horses.

Police say the preliminary investigation indicates that the pickup was headed north when it crossed into the southbound lane.

The 73-year-old male driver of the northbound vehicle is said to be in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The passenger was a 77-year-old woman from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L. She was taken to the Chaleur Regional Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The southbound vehicle was carrying two males aged 69 and 23. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, along with the two horses in their trailer.

An RCMP collision reconstructionist is assisting in the investigation.