A car ran over a mattress Thursday night on Route 22 West just past the 13th Street interchange and the would-be bed caught fire, eventually engulfing the car at the 25th Street Shopping Center, an official reports.

The driver, Barbara Blazovic, 76, of Bethlehem, told Palmer Municipal Fire Department Assistant Chief Jim Alercia that the full-size mattress was in the right lane and as other vehicles moved to avoid it, she was forced to drive over it due to traffic in front of her.

The mattress became wedged under the Nissan Altima and Blazovic dragged it along the highway until the next exit. By the time she was off the highway, the mattress was on fire, Alercia said. She pulled into the shopping center about 9 p.m. where a bystander helped her out of the car, Alercia said.

The fire spread from the undercarriage to consume the car within minutes, Alercia said.

Blazovic wasn't injured, Alercia said.

Township firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.