Van Halen singer impersonated in Canadian medical scare

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Canadian police officers who thought they were saving Van Halen singer David Lee Roth's life in May have now learned that they were assisting an impostor.

On May 23, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers near Brantford, Ontario stopped a vehicle that was travelling abnormally. They discovered a driver who identified himself as "David Lee Roth" who was having medical trouble. The driver was taken to Brantford General Hospital for treatment of anaphylaxis, reportedly caused by a peanut allergy.

Following his treatment and release from hospital, the man accompanied two nurses to a local bar, Liquid Lounge, where he sung the Van Halen song "Ice Cream Man" with a local band.

But it was since determined that Roth was performing with Van Halen in New York City on the evening that the incident occurred. A statement was issued through Roth's publicist denying that he was in Ontario and that the singer is not allergic to peanuts. The OPP officers at the time of the incident did not seek identification of the impostor due to concern over the man's medical condition, but are now aware of his real identity.

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Sources

Graham Rockingham. "Was mystery singer David Lee Roth?" — Hamilton Spectator, July 11, 2008
"David Lee Roth wasn't David Lee Roth, says David Lee Roth" — CanWest News Service, July 11, 2008
"That wasn’t David Lee Roth getting help from cops" — Canadian Press, July 11, 2008

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Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.