A runaway hay bale hit a pickup in Houston County on Saturday morning, started a fire and seriously injured two people.
The incident occurred northeast of Houston, Minn., near the intersection of County Roads 9 and 21 when a semitrailer truck traveling on a curved stretch of southbound County Road 9 lost some large round bales. One struck a northbound GMC Sierra, causing the GMC to crash into a ditch on the east side of the road and catch fire, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
The patrol said Dale Erickson, 59, and his 52 year-old wife, Teresa, of Houston were taken to Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in nearby La Crosse, Wis. It's unknown whether either was wearing a seat belt. The driver of the semi, Randall Hongerholt, 49, also of Houston, was not injured.
Jim Buchta
