Dick Van Dyke, 97, Forced To Hand Over Car Keys To Wife, 51, After He Crashes Vehicle

Last month, we reported that the Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke had crashed his car near his home in Malibu, California at 97 years of age. Now, sources are claiming that Dick’s wife Arlene Silver, 51, has taken away his car keys in the wake of this incident.

Van Dyke Hands Over Car Keys To Wife

“Dick’s gotten to the point where he needs to be taken off the road — for his own safety and the safety of others,” an insider told Radar Online.

Another source alleged that Dick is not happy about having to give up his car keys.

“Dick is chafing at Arlene’s concerns,” this insider said. “He’s aware of his age, but he’s determined to maintain his independence.”

The source went on to say that despite this, Arlene does not want to risk her husband getting in another accident.

“She doesn’t want to press her luck,” the insider explained. “She loves her husband very much and doesn’t want to see him die in the driver’s seat!”

Backstory: Dick Van Dyke, 97, Involved In California Car Crash

Dick’s Crash

This comes after police sources told TMZ that Dick crashed his 2018 Lexus LS 500 into a gate in Malibu last month, with officers finding him behind the wheel when they arrived on the scene. Alcohol and drugs were reportedly not a factor in the crash.

Dick was left with minor injuries that saw him bleeding from the nose and mouth, and he may have suffered a concussion. Despite this, he refused to go to the hospital, with paramedics instead treating him at the scene before a friend came to pick him up and take him home.

It should be noted that after the crash, police sent paperwork to the DMV requesting a driving retest for Dick, with one of the main factors behind this being his advanced age.

Days later, Dick told Daily Mail that he is “sore all over” after “faceplanting into his steering wheel” during the crash. The former Mary Poppins star made this comment when he was approached by reporters on Friday as he got a ride from his wife. 

“I’m fine, just sore all over,” Dick said when asked how he’s doing. “The airbag did not deploy, so I just did a face plant right into the steering wheel and it just made me a little dumber.”

“I’m 97, all my friends are dead,” he continued, going on to credit his wife for helping him by saying that “without her” he would “probably be dead.”

Dick and Arlene have been married since 2012, and he was previously married to Margie Willett from 1948 until they divorced in 1984. Dick was then in a relationship with Michelle Triola from then until her death in 2009.

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Related: Dick Van Dyke, 97, Breaks His Silence After He Crashes His Car

Van Dyke’s Previous Car Accident

This isn’t the first car crash that Dick has been involved in. Back in 2013, he made headlines when his Jaguar burst into flames on freeway in Los Angeles, according to Fox News. Dick was saved by a fellow driver who pulled him from his vehicle, and the actor said afterwards that he had no idea that his car had caught fire.

“It just started making a noise, and I thought I had a flat at first, then it started to smoke, then it burned to a crisp,” he told TMZ at the time.

While we can understand Dick’s frustration at having to give up his car keys, perhaps it’s time for him to stop driving, given the fact that he’s closing in on 100 years of age. Dick should think of this less as a loss of independence, and more as an opportunity to kick back, relax, and let others finally drive him around!