DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines police officer was injured Tuesday night when his patrol car was struck by a driver who was believed to be impaired.

A news release from the Des Moines Police Department said the crash happened around 9:34 p.m. at SE 14th Street and Watrous Avenue. The officer, a 24-year-old who has been with the department since 2023, was driving southbound on SE 14th when a northbound vehicle driven by 21-year-old Facundo Ramos-Batalla tried to turn left onto Watrous and struck the driver’s side of the patrol car.

The officer and Ramos-Batalla suffered minor injuries and were transported to hospitals for treatment.

Ramos-Batalla has been charged with OWI, failure to yield right of way upon left turn, and operating without a valid driver’s license.

The DMPD Traffic Unit is continuing to investigate the incident.