Dick Van Dyke, 97, Reportedly Injured After Crashing His Car
Legendary TV star Dick Van Dyke is recovering after he was involved in a car accident last week. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the 97-year-old actor was driving a silver 2018 Lexus LS 500 when the vehicle slid into a gate in Malibu, California on Wednesday, March 15. The area has been experiencing record rains, resulting in slick pavement, with the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins star reportedly losing control of his vehicle when it began to slide.
Van Dyke thankfully suffered only minor injuries in the accident. TMZ's sources shared that the actor was bleeding from his nose and mouth and may have sustained a concussion. Paramedics treated Van Dyke, who did not want to go to the hospital, at the scene. The actor was reportedly picked up by a friend who drove him home. Officers said drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash, though they did reportedly submit documents to the DMV requesting Van Dyke retake his driving test. Representatives for the actor have not publicly addressed the report at this time.
The March 15 accident came not long after Van Dyke shocked fans when he was unmasked on the Season 9 premiere of The Masked Singer. The iconic actor impressed the audience with his performances as Gnome, a costume expertly designed to make it impossible for panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong, and Robin Thicke to figure out who was under the mask. During his stint as Gnome, which saw him perform Billie Holiday's "When You're Smiling," a clue package aimed to help figure out his identity mentioned how the person under the costume had become a "mainstay in your lives" over the course of his career. The panelists were ultimately left dumbfounded by Gnome's true identity, with Scherzinger and Thicke guessing Dustin Hoffman and Jeong guessing Robert De Niro.
"I had never even seen the show when they asked me. So I checked it out and it looked like a lot of fun," Van Dyke told PEOPLE of his stint on the show. "I was positive they wouldn't be able to guess who I was. And I was right!"
Along with his recent appearance on The Masked Singer, Van Dyke's recent credits include Jim Carrey's comedy-drama Kidding and 2018's Mary Poppins Returns. He is well-known for starring in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66), which earned him three Emmys. Van Dyke also earned an Emmy in 1977 for his variety show Van Dyke and Company.