Still-Living Legend

Dick Van Dyke entitled his autobiography, My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business. Here's yet another example of why that was a good name…

Dick Van Dyke was pulled from his burning sports car Monday afternoon after it caught fire on the 101 Freeway in Calabasas, according to California Highway Patrol officials and his personal Twitter account.

Although the agency did not identify Van Dyke by name, he and his wife both tweeted photos of the scorched vehicle.

"He's fine thank God!!" Arlene Van Dyke wrote.

California Highway Patrol responded to a report of a burning vehicle on the right shoulder of the eastbound 101 Freeway near Parkway Calabasas about 2 p.m., according to the agency's incident log. The log noted that the driver was still inside, possibly unaware that the vehicle was on fire.

And other reports say that Dick, who's 87, went home right after and did not need medical attention.  His Jaguar was totaled but he's unharmed.

I've been hanging around this man lately because I admire him and his work so much and because he's such a nice, funny man…and also because I like seeing him with Arlene, who's a terrific spouse/partner for him. At least, that's why I was hanging around him. From now on, it's just because I'm hoping some of his luck will rub off on me. That's how it works with chimney sweeps, you know.