COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Columbus police officer died early Saturday morning after her cruiser collided head-on with a pickup truck.

Authorities said that Officer Melissa Foster was responding to a call at 1 a.m. when the truck crossed the center line and hit her cruiser. The 35-year-old officer was transported by helicopter to Grant Medical Center where she died.

The accident happened on Gender Road, on the city's southeast side, WCMH-TV reported. Foster was responding to a call about a prowler and was following another cruiser. Officials said the first cruiser swerved to miss the oncoming truck before it hit Foster's vehicle. Foster was not using the lights and sirens on her cruiser, officials said.

The crash is under investigation. Alcohol could have been a factor in the crash.

Police said that the driver of the truck also was also transported to Grant with non-life-threatening injuries.. The driver's identity hasn't been released.

Foster was a mother of two young children. She had been a Columbus police officer for seven years.

Foster is the first Columbus officer to die on duty since 2001.