Columbia police and fire personnel joined Dupo EMS and Monroe County EMS in responding along with Illinois State Police about 5:50 p.m. Thursday to two separate vehicle crashes on I-255 northbound near milepost 6. The crashes were caused by a mattress in the roadway that had apparently flown off the back of an unidentified vehicle.

A car struck the mattress and stopped, which resulted in a Corvette slamming into the back of it. Both occupants of the Corvette were transported to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries, one of which was a head laceration.

Another car driving on I-255 ran over the mattress, resulting in it getting caught underneath the vehicle and causing sparks. No injury was reported in that crash.