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Actor Dick Van Dyke injured after crashing car into gate, reports say

The 97-year-old acting legend told officials his car slid and he lost control because of the record rain Southern California has seen in recent weeks.
Credit: AP
2020 Kennedy Center honoree, actor Dick Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene Silver attend the 43nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on Friday, May 21, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

WASHINGTON — Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke suffered minor injuries in a car crash last week in Malibu, California, according to several reports. 

CNN, TMZ and DEADLINE each confirmed the actor was involved in a crash on the morning of Wednesday, March 15. 

According to CNN's report, which cited law enforcement sources, first responders were called to a single-car collision in which a silver Lexus collided with a gate. 

According to TMZ, the actor suffered minor injuries in the crash and didn't want to go to the hospital. According to one of the outlet's sources, Van Dyke told officials his car slid and he lost control because of the nonstop rain Southern California has seen in recent weeks.  

Van Dyke, 97, had the titular role on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” which ran on CBS from 1961 to 1966. He also starred in several classic children's movies such as "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Marry Poppins." Last month, he became the oldest contestant to ever appear on the Fox singing show "The Masked Singer." 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which operates as a police department in Malibu, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Van Dyke isn't the only person to have difficulties because of the California rain. 

The state has suffered from torrential flooding for much of 2023. The massive downpours of snow and rain have helped relieve drought conditions that had plagued much of California for most of the past decade, but much of the state's infrastructure is not built for massive storms, especially in the southern half where large tracts of desert land make rain a rarity. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared emergencies in 34 counties in recent weeks, and the Biden administration approved a presidential disaster declaration for some earlier this month, a move that will bring more federal assistance into the state.

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