Peoria City Council member Kiran Velpula is facing a charge of driving under the influence and other related major traffic violations, according to Peoria County court records.
A case filed Sept. 17 charges Velpula, 48, with one misdemeanor count of DUI, with a first appearance scheduled for Oct. 16.
Reached for comment Monday, Velpula said he has been advised not to speak about the case.
Three major traffic citations filed two days earlier allege a list of offenses: leaving the scene of an accident, failure to give information or render aid, unattended vehicle and failure to notify damage; and improper lane usage,
According to the Illinois State Police, Velpula was arrested at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 11. WCBU has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for additional details of the incident that led to the charges.
On Tuesday, the City of Peoria issued a statement through city attorney Patrick Hayes, indicating Peoria Police responded to a vehicle accident on Columbine Drive and the initial investigation resulted in Velpula’s arrest for the traffic violations and suspicion of DUI.
Velpula’s status as a council member prompted the DUI investigation to be referred to the Illinois State Police for completion.
The city statement said the traffic and DUI matters do not impact Velpula’s eligibility to serve as an elected official. The city also said it will not issue additional comments on the matter as the incident is subject to potential litigation.
