David Lee Roth was pulled over for speeding last month in Oakland, Ont. OPP called in paramedics after realizing the Van Halen singer was having an allergic reaction to nuts. (Sun Media file photo)

SIMCOE, Ont. -- Rock star David Lee Roth suffered a medical emergency during a recent visit to a small Ontario town south of Brantford.

Brant County OPP pulled over a rented vehicle for speeding last month in Oakland, north of Waterford. Roth, the driver, was suffering an allergic reaction to nuts. Officers stayed with the Van Halen singer until paramedics arrived.

Const. Larry Plummer of the Brant OPP said it is an exaggeration to suggest the officers saved Roth's life, as one news service reported. What the officers did, Plummer said, is routine for police everywhere.

Plummer doesn't know how word of the incident got out. OPP don't normally comment on medical assists.

He said the young constables involved didn't know who they were dealing with, nor did they know of Roth, 53, when told of his history.

"We didn't run anything on it because it's something we come across every day," Plummer said. "We try to protect people's privacy when it involves personal information."

Const. Chris Thompson was one of the officers who helped. Thompson may not have known who Roth was, but he recognized immediately that there was something different about him.

"At the time, I wasn't star-struck," Thompson said. "I was just trying to help him. The guy stuck out like a sore thumb. He was wearing a little silk scarf and flashy clothing -- it's not something you see in Oakland too often."

Plummer said Roth has been seen in the Simcoe area in recent weeks. Plummer added that Roth's appearance has changed since the rock band Van Halen exploded on the scene in the late 1970s. He now has much shorter hair.

Bob Boisclair of Erie Music in downtown Simcoe said he has also heard that Roth has been hanging around the Norfolk area. Boisclair said the talk suggests Roth is considering buying property in Port Dover.

Robert Bianchini of Scorpion Recording Studio in Port Dover has heard numerous reports of the famous and semi-famous eyeing land along the Norfolk shoreline, Port Dover in particular. Bianchini said it is conceivable Roth was in southern Ontario late last month because Van Halen played in Quebec City on July 3, as part of that's city's 400th anniversary celebration.

Roth is the voice behind Van Halen's most famous songs including Running With The Devil, Panama, The Cradle Will Rock, Jump, Jamie's Crying and Hot For Teacher.