Marvel movie star Jeremy Renner did not have a great start to 2023. On New Year’s Day, the actor was airlifted to a nearby hospital after suffering a terrible injury at his Lake Tahoe Ranch. Tuesday, January 3, Renner thanked fans and well-wishers with his first social media post since the accident. Bruised and lying in a hospital bed, the Avenger captioned the photo: “Thank you all for your kind words. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”
A New Year’s snowstorm brought nearly 3 feet of snow to Washoe County, Nevada. Per Sheriff Darin Balaam, Renner was assisting a family member whose car had gotten stuck in the snow. He towed the vehicle free with his PistenBully snowplow, a piece of equipment that weighs at least 14,330 lbs. By comparison, the average car weighs 4,289 lbs.
After freeing the car, Renner got out of the snowplow to talk to his relative. However, the large vehicle began to move on its own, resulting in Renner trying to get back into the driver’s seat to stop it. Instead, a terrible accident happened when the machine ran over the actor.
Renner suffered orthopedic and blunt chest trauma from the event. He has undergone two surgeries to treat what has been deemed “extensive injuries.” According to his publicist, Samantha Mast, he is in stable condition at the ICU.
Mast added, “Jeremy is making positive progress and is awake, talking, and in good spirits. He is overwhelmed by the showing of love and support. The family asks for your continued thoughts while he heals with his close loved ones.”
It turns out Renner is a real-life superhero. On his “CNN This Morning” Wednesday appearance, Sheriff Balaam said the Hawkeye actor is “very active in the Reno community” and even an “honorary deputy.” He participates in a program called “Shop for the Sheriff,” and Balaam fondly remembers Renner signing autographs and “shopping with the kids” in 2019.
There is no suspicion of Jeremy Renner being intoxicated during the incident, but the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department has the PistenBully in custody. It is being analyzed for “potential mechanical failure,” a normal part of investigations related to the level of injuries caused by such accidents.
Cover Image: Jeremy Renner/Instagram