Dick Van Dyke’s fans expressed their concern and sent him their well-wishes after news broke last week that he suffered minor injuries in a car accident. The 97-year-old Hollywood legend crashed his 2018 Lexus LS 500 in Malibu while driving on slick roads on March 15. He blamed the injuries on his airbag not deploying in the accident and said he needed two stitches.
Van Dyke was driving that morning when he crashed his car into a gate. He told police he lost control, and his car slid off the road. Sources told TMZ he was bleeding from the nose and mouth and “might have suffered a concussion.” However, he did not want to go to the hospital. Police sent paperwork to the DMV requesting Van Dyke take a new driving test because of his age, although a law enforcement spokesperson later told the Los Angeles Times they were unaware of such paperwork.
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Paparazzi caught up with Van Dyke on Friday, and he seemed his usual cheery shelf. “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 told the videographer as he pointed to his chin. “Other than that, it just made me a little dumber I guess.”
‘Prayers for an uneventful and quick recovery
When asked about concerns for his well-being, he assured fans that he is ok. “I’m 97 – all my friends are dead,” he quipped. Van Dyke also said he was still “sore all over” and doing “pretty good.”
‘So thankful it wasn’t worse’
Van Dyke’s time behind the wheel might be coming to an end soon. On Monday, an insider told Radar Online that his wife, Arlene Silver, 51, decided she needed to take “desperate measures” and took his car keys away. “Dick’s gotten to the point where he needs to be taken off the road – for his own safety and the safety of others,” the insider said. “Arlene is terrified if she doesn’t take the keys away now, it may be too late!” Another source said Van Dyke is aware of his age “but he’s determined to maintain his independence.”
‘Time to stop driving’
Scroll on to see how fans reacted to Van Dyke’s accident.
‘Car probably tripped over an ottoman’
Although Van Dyke has not acted onscreen since his cameo in Disney’s 2018 Mary Poppins sequel Mary Poppins Returns, he hasn’t stayed out of the public eye. In 2021, he attended the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony to recognize his unparalleled contributions to film and television. Just last month, he appeared in the season premiere of The Masked Singer.
‘He’s a national treasure!’
Van Dyke is beloved for his performance in Mary Poppins as Bert, as well as films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bye Bye Birdie, and Divorce American Style.
‘Someone get Dick Van Dyke a full time driver, stat’
However, his most longstanding contribution to American pop culture is the show that bears his name, The Dick Van Dyke Show. The show is still considered one of the best sitcoms ever made and earned Van Dyke three consecutive Emmys between 1964 and 1966. He also won a fourth Emmy in 1977 for the Van Dyke and Company variety show. In 1990, he earned an Emmy nomination for his guest role in The Golden Girls.
