Dick Van Dyke revealed his vehicle’s airbags did not deploy during a collision March 22, which resulted in his face hitting the steering wheel.
Video footage of the 97-year old entertainer showed that he was independently mobile while out and about with his 51-year-old wife, Arlene Silver, and a friend. He stopped to speak with camera crews in an underground parking lot and offered some surprising details about the collision. “I’m fine, just sore all over,” Van Dyke said. He pointed at his face and explained he had to get stitches in his chin as a result of the crash, according to TMZ.
The beloved “Mary Poppins” icon said he was doing “pretty good,” in spite of the soreness he was feeling.
“The airbags did not deploy, so I just had a face plant right in the steering wheel, and I have two stitches here. Other than that, it just made me a little dumber,” he quipped with his usual light-hearted humor.
Van Dyke seemed to push past the accident and seemed to minimize the severity of the crash by using his comedic approach to answering questions. “I’m 97 — all my friends are dead,” he told TMZ.
Dick Van Dyke, 97, crashes car into gate in Malibu https://t.co/cn5cOPTqC4 pic.twitter.com/i3u1iKrBcf
— New York Post (@nypost) March 22, 2023
The famous actor was driving a silver Lexus that crashed into a gate in Malibu while driving in wet conditions. He reportedly lost control of the vehicle and careened out of control before making contact with the gate, according to TMZ.(RELATED: The Mother Of Morgan Wallen’s Child Suffers Serious Facial Injuries In Horrific Car Crash)
Crash scene images showed him with blood on his face. Paramedics treated his injuries on-scene and evaluated Van Dyke for a possible concussion, according to TMZ. Law enforcement officers have requested that Van Dyke retake his driving exam with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, according to TMZ.