A couple travelling in their car were killed after multiple hay bales slid off a semi-truck along a country road in Minnesota crashing into their vehicle. It's not clear how the bales came loose but the accident occurred as the truck went around a bend just after 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. Teresa Erickson, 52, and her husband Dale, 59, were driving their pickup in the opposite direction when they were unable to avoid the hay. Mr Erickson's car was forced into a ditch and burst into flames. Killed: Dale Erickson, 59, and Teresa Erickson, 52, died within days of each other after their vehicle crashed into a ditch on County Road 9 and caught fire on Saturday morning after they were hit by a bale of hay . Scene of the crash: The couple passed the truck carrying the hay along a curve on Houston County Road 9 northeast of Houston, Minnesota just after 9 a.m. on Saturday . The couple were airlifted to hospital in Wisconsin however Mrs Erickson died soon after the accident and her husband passed away earlier this week. The semi that caused the crash was driven by Randall Hongerholt, 49, of Houston, according to the state patrol. He was not injured but according to the Minnesota State Patrol, charges are pending following the outcome of an investigation into the crash. 'Commercial vehicles, and all vehicles, are required to secure their load in a manner that prevents any of it's load from dropping, shifting, leaking, blowing or otherwise escaping from the vehicle,' said Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nielson. 'This fatal crash, unfortunately, is exactly why we have these laws in place — to prevent injuries or death. 'This was a very tragic crash, and a family is grieving a terrible loss that could have been prevented.' Hay bales vary greatly in weight, depending not only on dimensions but density. A federal study analyzed seven deaths in Minnesota in the mid-1990s associated with large hay bales and found that the bales ranged from 750 to 1,500 pounds. In Minnesota, truckers can be fined $385 if they are found to have an improperly secured or shifting load.
As truck went around a curve on a road in Minnesota it lost its load of hay A pickup headed in the opposite direction was hit by one of the bales . Dale Erickson, 59, and his wife, 52-year-old Teresa Erickson were killed . The driver of the semi-truck Randall Hongerholt was not injured .