A man who allegedly posed as a car driver and sexually assaulted a woman in Vaughan last week could also be responsible for a similar incident that happened less than an hour later in Brampton, police say.

York Regional Police previously said a woman was waiting for a bus near Bramalea and Countryside roads in Brampton around 7 a.m. on Nov. 8 when a suspect approached her in a black sedan, claiming to be the driver of shared transportation.

The woman allegedly got into the vehicle and was later driven to the area of ​​Highway 27 and Nashville Road in Vaughan, where police say she was sexually assaulted by the driver.

The woman eventually escaped the area after two bystanders intervened, police say.

The suspect, in turn, fled the scene and remains unaccounted for.

In a news release issued Wednesday, Peel police said their investigators now believe the same suspect driving the same vehicle may also be “connected” to a similar incident that occurred the same day in Brampton.

In that incident, an 18-year-old woman was waiting at a bus stop at Goreridge Crescent and Via Romano Way in Brampton just before 8 a.m. when an unknown suspect approached her in a vehicle, claiming to be the driver of shared transportation.

Police say the suspect offered the woman a ride in exchange for a cash payment, and she accepted the offer.

He then drove the woman to an area near the Clareville Conservation Area, in the vicinity of Highway 50 and Gore Road, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

“Investigators have determined that a separate incident that occurred in York Region (Vaughan) may be linked to the same suspect operating the same motor vehicle,” the press release notes. “Police remind the carpooling public to always check the vehicle, number plate and driver. Investigators are looking for anyone with dash cam footage from the above areas during the associated times to come forward. “

Police say the suspect in the second Brampton incident is described as South Asian, with a medium complexion, bleached black hair, short on top, a well-kept full black beard, medium to muscular build and an average height. He is believed to be between 20 and 25 years old and was last seen wearing a blue or black winter jacket and black trousers.

The suspect vehicle in the incident is described as a four-door black Hyundai Elantra.