Dick Van Dyke is shaken up, but relatively unscathed after crashing his car last week.
Law enforcement sources confirmed to TMZ that the Mary Poppins star’s car ran into a gate in Malibu, California on March 15, resulting in “mild injuries.” The 97-year-old was behind the wheel of a silver 2018 Lexus LS 500 when officers arrived at the scene. According to the outlet, Van Dyke told officers that his car slid on the wet roads and he lost control of the vehicle before it ran into the gate (Los Angeles has been experiencing an unusual amount of rain over the past Couple of weeks). When paramedics arrived at the scene, they treated the actor for bleeding from the nose and mouth and were concerned he might have suffered a concussion, however, Van Dyke did not want to be taken to the hospital. He was then picked up and driven home. Police sources said that drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the accident, but they have submitted paperwork to the DMV requesting a driving retest for the movie star, citing his age as the primary reason.
Van Dyke has previously credited his wife Arlene Silver and their 46-year age gap with keeping him young at heart. In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment last month, when asked about his secret fountain of youth, the film icon replied, “Having a beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me—that works!” He added that good genes and avoiding negativity also helps, explaining, “My positive attitude, I get that from my wife.” He also noted that he still goes to the gym three days a week as, “That’s what ages people—it’s just a stiffening up and not exercising their muscles and their lungs. Exercise is the answer.”
Van Dyke and Silver—a producer and former makeup artist—originally met in 2007 at the 13th Screen Actors Guild Awards where she was working and he was presenting Julie Andrews with a lifetime achievement award. They wed in 2012 and the actor told Parade in 2013 of his wife of over a decade, “It’s one of the smartest moves I ever made. She makes me happy. She’s very mature for her age, and I’m very immature for my age, so it’s just about right!” This is Van Dyke’s second marriage. He was previously married to the late Margie Willett for 30 years before divorcing in 1984 following a six-year separation. The former couple had four children together, Barry, Christian, Stacy, and Carrie. Van Dyke then went on to have another thirty-plus year Relationship with actress Michelle Triola until her death from lung cancer in 2009.