HOUSTON  — Authorities are investigating a fatal crash caused by a bale of hay that fell off a semitrailer in southeastern Minnesota.

Minnesota State Patrol says several large bales of hay toppled off the semi Saturday morning on Houston County Road 9 near the city of Houston. The State Patrol says one bale struck a pickup truck carrying a local couple, and caused the man to lose control of the vehicle.

The pickup truck crashed into a ditch and caught fire. The driver and his wife were taken to a La Crosse, Wisconsin, hospital with serious injuries.

The State Patrol says 52-year-old Teresa Erickson died Sunday, and 59-year-old Dale Erickson died Tuesday.