City man cited for DUI after accident

YOUNGSTOWN — Police cited a 39-year-old city man for having an open container and driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol this morning after a two-vehicle accident near the intersection of Market Street and Woodland Avenue on the South Side.

Police were called to the accident about 9:15 a.m. and found an open beer can in the car driven by Benito Velazquez Jr. of Franklin Avenue. The driver of the other vehicle involved denied medical treatment, according to reports.

Velazquez was taken downtown to the police station and given a breath test, which indicated his blood-alcohol content was 0.226 — nearly three times Ohio’s legal limit of 0.08. He was given the citations and released to a family member, police said.

Velazquez, formerly a deputy clerk at Mahoning County Area Court in Boardman, was cited for operating a vehicle while impaired in October 2010 and March 2011. He also was charged with obstructing official business after being accused of hiding the March drunken-driving ticket. He resigned his county post in April 2011.