DUBOIS – A local fire chief is being accused of impersonating a police officer.
Justin Worley, 42, of Clearfield is charged by DuBois City police with misdemeanor impersonating a public servant and summary improper use of emergency lights.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, officers received a report of a small, dark-colored vehicle being driven “crazy” in the area of West DuBois Avenue and Susquehanna Street at 6:57 p.m. March 1.
The caller, later identified as Worley, the Clearfield Borough fire chief, said the sedan was headed into DuBois City from Brockway and stopped at the intersection of Susquehanna Street and West Second Avenue.
Worley had reportedly followed the vehicle whose operator also contacted 911 after he ran a red light to catch up with him. Then, he said, Worley pulled him over on Susquehanna Street.
Officer Lance Thompson spoke with Worley, who said he followed the vehicle into DuBois and as it pulled onto Susquehanna Street and stopped, he “bumped the lights” with his elbow. He reportedly said multiple times: “I screwed up.”
Thompson later spoke with the operator of the vehicle who said he came up on the Clearfield Borough fire chief’s vehicle, which was traveling around 15-20 miles per hour below the speed limit.
He said it’s typical for him to get “blinked at” because his headlights are bright. He believed Worley may have been traveling slow for this reason, so he hit his high beams to make sure they were on low.
Once he did, the operator said Worley activated his overhead emergency lights before turning them back off. When the opportunity arose, he went around Worley and he said Worley sped up to follow.
As they approached the Falls Creek Sheetz intersection, the light was yellow. He said he proceeded, knowing Worley would have a red light as he was still a “distance behind him.”
His passenger said she also saw Worley activate his lights, then turn them back off as he got through the intersection. At West DuBois Avenue and DuBois Street, the operator made a right-hand turn to see if Worley would follow and he did.
Both the operator and passenger said once traveling on Susquehanna Street, Worley activated his emergency lights for a few minutes before turning them back off.
He said they stayed in the car for about 15 minutes and Worley never approached them, so he exited and asked what he’d done wrong. This, he said, was when Worley yelled for him to reenter his vehicle and “not move.”
Worley’s status with the fire department could not be confirmed at press time. He’s scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 10:15 a.m. April 16.