Aurora Starchild
Dick Van Dyke is tough as nails at 97, but a recent car crash left him “sore all over.” The Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star was behind the wheel of his Lexus when he crashed earlier this month. Despite needing stitches, he assures his fans that he’s “good.”
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Dick Van Dyke Crashed His Lexus After Sliding on Wet Pavement
Dick Van Dyke was driving his wife Arlene Silver (51) and a friend on March 15 when he crashed into a gate in Malibu. According to TMZ, the crash didn’t involve any other vehicles. Van Dyke was driving a 2018 Lexus LS 500. Sources told the publication that the collision was due to recent nonstop rains in southern California, which caused the actor to lose control of the traction.
Officers reported that his injuries were “minor” at the time. A spokesperson for the LA County sheriff’s department told HuffPost that Van Dyke was treated by paramedics at the scene and did not go to the hospital. TMZ revealed that Van Dyke was bleeding from his nose and mouth and may have received a concussion. The publication added that there were no drugs or alcohol involved but that, due to the actor’s age, he was being requested to retest for his driver’s license.
Van Dyke Says the Airbags Didn’t Deploy
11 days after the crash, Dick Van Dyke was spotted in a parking garage and asked to give an update. In a candid video shared by TMZ, he assures everyone that he’s doing fine.
“Pretty good,” Van Dyke says when he’s asked how he’s faring. “I’m sore all over. The airbags did not deploy. So, I just did a faceplant right in the steering wheel.”
The Mary Poppins actor then pointed to his injuries. “I have two stitches here,” he said, pointing below his bottom lip.
“Other than that, it just made me a little dumber,” he said as he started to walk away. “I’m doing okay. I’m 97. All my friends are dead. I’m still having fun.”
Dick Van Dyke Said His Wife Is Taking Care of Him
Indeed, just a month ago, Dick Van Dyke was revealed on The Masked Singer. Dressed as a gnome, he sang “When You’re Smiling.” The reveal left viewers in tears. “I think some people thought I was dead,” he told Entertainment Tonight. He’s not dead at all but it seems that he certainly is mortal, as this recent car accident has left him a bit stunned.
Asked if his wife Arlene was “taking good care” of him, Van Dyke was sweet. “Without her, I’d probably be dead,” he quipped.
The Mary Poppins Actor Almost Died in a Fiery Car Accident 9 Years Ago
This isn’t the first car accident that Dick Van Dyke has been in. About nine years ago, he was rescued by a Good Samaritan after his car burst into flames. Jason Pennington told CNN that he was driving down the freeway in Los Angeles when they saw a car on fire on the side of the road.
“It’s not uncommon, when it’s hot out in southern California, to see a car on fire on the side of the road,” said Pennington. “But what was odd was, nobody was standing around it and there were flames coming out of the hood and a lot of smoke. And as we drove by, it was my wife who said, ‘Somebody’s inside that car and they’re hunched over.’”
The Penningtons had no idea that it was Dick Van Dyke they were seeing at the time. Jason turned to ascend the on-ramp and ran across the grass to get to the flaming Jaguar.
A Married Couple Stopped on the Highway and Pulled a Dazed Van Dyke Out Before Car Burst Into Flames
“Sure enough there was somebody in there. And I opened the door, and it was smoky, very smoky in the car,” Jason Pennington continued. “The flames were large but not that big. The gentleman in the car kept saying, ‘I’m okay, I’m okay.’ I said, ‘Yes sir, but you’ve got to get out of the car,’ and he kept saying ‘I’m okay.’”
“He was trying to get his stuff together, I think he spilled a bag or something,” Pennington recalled. “Once I felt the flames — they got really big and the whole entire front of the car was on fire — that’s when I just yanked him out by his arm. Because you don’t want to lay hands on anybody or be forceful with them. You’re afraid of how they’ll react. But, when I could feel the heat, I just pulled him out.”
The hero said Dick Van Dyke appeared extremely dazed at the time, describing him as “disoriented” but also “very nice.”
“He kind of stumbled to his feet and he smiled, and I said, ‘We need to walk away from the car,’ and he smiled again,” said his rescuer.
When Pennington exclaimed, “You’re Dick Van Dyke!” the actor responded, “Well, yes, I am! And what’s your name?”
Finally, an off-duty and barefoot EMT saw the scene and ran over. He and Pennington sat Van Dyke down and it took a moment before he turned and asked, “Is that my car on fire?”
“It was completely engulfed in flames,” said Pennington. “And he goes, ‘I just got that out of the shop.’ He kinda chuckled. And he was just the nicest, calmest guy. I don’t think he realized anything.”
