Two Dayton police officers were injured Friday afternoon in a crash on Brandt Pike that involved their cruiser and a private ambulance.

According to a preliminary investigation, the officer who was driving was at fault, Lt. Andrew Booher said.

The medics in the ambulance were not injured, he said.

The police officers, whose names were not released, were returning to Dayton after dropping off a witness, Booher said, when traffic ahead of their cruiser in the 2000 block of Brandt Pike stopped suddenly.

At that point, the officer at the wheel hit the brakes and veered away to avoid rear-ending a vehicle but veered into the path of the oncoming ambulance, and clipped its front end, Booher said.

The crash happened just before 5 p.m. Friday.

The officers were taken to Miami Valley Hospital, one of whom required stitches to the right eyelid, the lieutenant said. The injuries to the other officer were not described.

Considerable damage was done to the cruiser, Booher said, and it will be checked as part of the investigation to make sure its brakes and steering systems were in good working order.

A light rain was falling when the crash happened, and oil residue on the streets that made for slick conditions were both factors in the crash Booher said.

Because the crash happened inside Riverside city limits, Riverside police will take the lead in the investigation, according to Booher.