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Another driver has come forward and said they were pulled over by a man impersonating a police officer on Highway 6 in Lumby.

The incident took place March 13, at roughly 9 p.m. on Highway 6 between Vernon and Lumby.

The report follows a very similar incident that took place the next day on Highway 33 between Rock Creek and Kelowna.

According to a Vernon North Okanagan RCMP media release a motorist was travelling between Vernon and Lumby when a white-coloured vehicle, thought to be an SUV or pickup truck, pulled in behind them and then activated red and blue lights.

The driver pulled over to the side of the road and a man approached the driver’s side window with a flashlight. A brief conversation took place before the male suspect returned to the white vehicle and turned off the red and blue lights.

The driver pulled back onto the highway and the white vehicle followed.

"As the motorist drove away, the suspicious white vehicle was in the process of stopping another vehicle on Highway 6 near Dure Meadows Road in Lumby," Vernon RCMP Corp. Tania Finn said in a media release.

Police are eager to speak with that motorist or anyone else in the area who had a similar experience.

The incident in Lumby closely mirrors what took place on Highway 33 the following night.

Southeast District RCMP say shortly after 8:30 p.m. March 21, a motorist was in the Westbridge area when a white pickup truck pulled out behind him and followed for a short distance and then activated a set of red and blue lights installed in the vehicle’s grill.

Again, the driver pulled over, and the suspect approached the vehicle carrying a flashlight.

"Although the victim was ordered to exit his vehicle during the interaction, he trusted his instincts, distracted the suspect and managed to flee towards Kelowna," B.C. RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said in a media release.
"The suspect reportedly followed the victim for several kilometres before pulling off the highway. The victim contacted a family member when he entered into cell service range, who in turn reported the incident to police."

In both incidents, the suspect is described as male, with blonde unkempt hair. He is approximately 6' to 6'2 in height, clean-shaven, and wearing a white dress shirt, with black or dark blue khaki style pants.

Both incidents come just days after 29-year-old Patrick Maguire was arrested in Prince George and charged for impersonating a police officer.

Maguire had allegedly approached a group of people and identified himself as "Officer Maguire" before driving off in a vehicle that had been kitted out with flashing red and blue lights.

Vernon RCMP is requesting anyone with any information to contact const. Ashley Gravelle at the Lumby RCMP at 250-547-2151 or remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leave a tip online at www.nokscrimestoppers.com.

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