LOS ANGELES — Dick Van Dyke recently offered an update on his condition after sustaining injuries in a Malibu car accident earlier this month.
On Friday, the 97-year-old actor told paparazzi that he was feeling “pretty good” but “sore all over” more than a week after his car collided into a block wall and a gate in the coastal city. According to police, Van Dyke was driving in the rain March 15 when his vehicle slid off the slick roadway and crashed.
“The airbag did not deploy, so I just did a face-plant right in the steering wheel, and I have two stitches here,” the “Mary Poppins” star said Friday, pointing to his chin. “Other than that, it just made me a little dumber I guess.”
No other vehicles or passengers were involved in the collision, which left Van Dyke with a possible concussion, as well as a bloody nose and mouth, according to TMZ. A law enforcement spokesperson told The Times on Wednesday that the Hollywood legend suffered “moderate injuries to the face area” but did not elaborate.
Police said Van Dyke was “alert and oriented” while interacting with members of the L.A. County Fire Department, who treated him on the scene and recommended he go to the hospital. Though he was not immediately transported to the hospital via ambulance, a law enforcement spokesperson told The Times he was under the impression that the Emmy winner later went to the hospital alone or with a loved one.
In the wake of the accident, TMZ reported that police filed a request to the California Department of Motor Vehicles for Van Dyke to retake a driving test. However, a law enforcement spokesperson told The Times he was not aware of any paperwork submitted to the DMV, which declined to comment on the matter.
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