On the afternoon of Sunday, October 8, 1989, the members of the McGraw and Léger families were participating in a
hayride, travelling in a wagon pulled by a
farm tractor, as well as two following
pickup trucks, along the shoulder of
Route 945. They were approximately from the end of the ride at a
community hall in Cormier-Village where they had planned a family reunion as part of their celebration of
Thanksgiving Weekend. The driver of a
tractor trailer (
logging truck) hauling a 6-tonne load of hardwood logs cut into lengths lost control as he passed, resulting in the entire load of logs tipping onto the tractor, wagon, and pickup trucks. 13 people were killed and 45 injured with many victims pinned and crushed; five children were among those who died. Emergency responders from the
RCMP in Shediac, volunteer fire fighters from Cap-Pelé and numerous ambulance paramedics from across Westmorland County responded. Victims were transported to
tertiary care hospitals in
Moncton, approximately away. == Response ==