MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The State Patrol says two people died in southern Minnesota over the weekend when a large hay bale fell off a semi and smashed into a pickup truck, causing it to crash and start on fire.

The incident happened in Saturday morning near the intersection of County Road 9 and County Road 21 just northeast of Houston.

The State Patrol says the semi was going south on County Road 9 when it lost a hay bale while taking a curve.

The falling hay bale struck an on-coming pickup truck, causing it to crash into the east ditch and start on fire.

The truck's driver, 59-year-old Dale Erickson, and passenger, 52-year-old Teresa Erickson, died. Both were from Houston.

The semi's driver, 49-year-old Randall Hongerholt of Houston, wasn't hurt.

The roads were dry at the time of incident.