Dick Van Dyke's Accident Leads His Wife to Put Her Foot Down, Report Says
Dick Van Dyke's wife, Arlene Silver, reportedly took his car keys away after he was injured in a minor car accident earlier this month. Van Dyke, 97, was driving his 2018 Lexus LS 500 in Malibu during the rainy morning hours of March 15 when his car slid off the road and crashed, police said. The Hollywood legend later told paparazzi he needed two stitches after the accident.
Silver, 51, was "convinced" to take "desperate measures" to make sure Van Dyke never finds himself in a similar situation again, sources told Radar Online Monday. "Dick's gotten to the point where he needs to be taken off the road – for his own safety and the safety of others," one insider said. "Arlene is terrified if she doesn't take the keys away now, it may be too late!"
The situation reportedly caused "friction" between the happily married couple. "Dick is chafing at Arlene's concerns," a source told Radar Online. "He's aware of his age, but he's determined to maintain his independence."
Van Dyke told police his vehicle slid off the slick road and he slammed into a gate, police sources told TMZ. The Mary Poppins actor was bleeding from the nose and mouth and could have suffered a condition. He was treated at the scene and declined to go to the hospital. Police reportedly put in paperwork requesting Van Dyke take a new driving test, citing his age. However, a law enforcement spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times they were unaware of any paperwork submitted to the DMV.
When paparazzi caught up with Van Dyke Friday, he showed off his injuries. "The airbag did not deploy, so I just did a face-plant right in the steering wheel, and I have two stitches here," Van Dyke said as he pointed to his chin. "Other than that, it just made me a little dumber I guess."
The crash happened a decade after Van Dyke nearly died in a car fire. In August 2013, a witness saw Van Dyke sitting in his car on the side of the Southern California highway, with flames coming out of the actor's Jaguar. The man helped pull Van Dyke out of the vehicle. As the car burned, Van Dyke waited for Silver to pick him up.
Silver "doesn't want to press her luck" after the latest accident, a source told Radar. "She loves her husband very much and doesn't want to see him die in the driver's seat!" Van Dyhke and Silver married in February 2012 after meeting at the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards.