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In a dramatic and dangerous situation, a good Samaritan rescued Dick Van Dyke from a burning car earlier this week. As the legendary actor was driving down a Los Angeles highway, his car burst into flames, reported TMZ in a breaking story on Mon., Aug. 20. The incident occurred about 2 p.m. local time. Van Dyke, 87, reportedly was seen hunched over the wheel of his car on the side of the road by passerby Jason Pennington, so he pulled over. Upon arrival, Pennington found the car was engulfed with smoke. Thinking Van Dyke had fainted, Pennington began to take action. Pennington, with the help of two off-duty nurses who also pulled over, immediately assisted Van Dyke out of the car, and just in the nick of time, according to media reports. It was not long before the car was completely enveloped in flames. “He [Pennington] thought I had fainted…He thought I was passed out, so he yanked me. Very exciting!” Van Dyke said. According to The Guardian, Van Dyke did not need any medical attention. His wife arrived at the scene of the fire to pick him up. Later on, she was giving updates on her husband on social media websites. “He’s fine thank God!,” said wife Arlene Van Dyke on Twitter. She also posted a video showing Van Dyke and his now beyond recognition car. The New York Daily News described the car as looking “like it sustained a bomb blast”. Reportedly, he is doing just fine after the incident. Ever the comedian, Van Dyke was soon cracking jokes on social media himself, having tweeted, “Used Jag for sale REAL CHEAP!”, accompanied with a photo of his completely destroyed car. It wasn’t long before he continued with more tweets from his Twitter account, saying, “I once drove a car that could fly I had never driven so high But, I recently found Even back on the ground U still can be left high and dry.” This was not the first time Van Dyke has been rescued in recent years. According to several media reports, in 2010 he was rescued by porpoises after he fell asleep on his surfboard. The porpoises literally nudged him towards land. For decades, Van Dyke has been entertaining millions of people. His film credits include Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bye Bye Birdie and, more recently, the Night at the Museum movies. The actor’s TV credits are numerous, and long time fans will remember The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s and the long- running TV drama Diagnosis: Murder. Van Dyke is reportedly recovering at home. TMZ published an updated report that shared the 911 tape recording of the incident. It is not clear whether or not Van Dyke initially knew his car was on fire. “It just started making a noise. I thought I had a flat at first, then it started smoking, then it burned to a crisp,” the actor told TMZ. “It was scary.” It is also not being reported what the cause of the fire was, if known. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society