A man and a woman from Maple Lake died Tuesday morning in a head-on crash in the west metro involving three cars and a pickup truck, authorities said.

The crash occurred about 10:10 a.m. on Hwy. 55 at Dempsey Avenue, west of Buffalo and about 2 miles east of Maple Lake, according to the State Patrol. Both directions of the two-lane highway were closed until midafternoon as investigators collected evidence at the scene of the crash.

Killed in the pileup were Delano Price, 71, and Lois Price, 80, who were in a car heading west on Hwy. 55, the patrol said. Delano Price, who was behind the wheel, did not have on a seat belt; Lois Price was belted in, the patrol added.

Three others were injured but expected to survive, the patrol said. The pickup driver, a 50-year-old man from Annandale, was not hurt. All had on their seat belts.

The Prices' westbound car was making a left turn onto Dempsey, according to the patrol. The pickup hit the car from behind and pushed it into eastbound Hwy. 55, where it collided head-on with another car, spun out and struck a third car.