Renner is an honorary sheriff and has made a ‘tremendous impact’ on his community
Jeremy Renner was run over by a 14,000-pound (6350kg) Sno-Cat while talking to a family member on New Year’s Day, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has revealed.
The two-time Oscar nominee, suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopaedic injuries, and is still in intensive care, after the accident near his Mt. Rose home, about 25 miles outside Reno.
Shortly before a press conference got underway, Renner posted a hospital-bed selfie, telling fans: “Thank you all for your kind words. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”
The sheriff’s office revealed Renner was using the snow-clearing vehicle, a PistenBully, to free a vehicle of his, driven by a family member, from being stuck in snow when the accident happened around 9am, Deadline reported.
After Renner was able to free the car, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said the actor got out of the PistenBully to talk to the family member and the machine started to roll.
Renner then tried to get back into the driver’s seat, at which point, Balaam said the PistonBully ran over him.
“An eyewitness detailed seeing Mr. Renner getting into the PistonBully, and not seeing him again until the PistonBully came to a rest in a pile of snow in front of his driveway.”
“We don’t suspect any foul play,” Balaam added.
The sheriff wished Renner a “full and speedy recovery” and said police do not believe the performer was “impaired at all and we believe this is a tragic accident.”
Renner is a honorary Washoe County Deputy Sheriff and has “made a tremendous impact on this community,” Balaam said, praising the actor.
Balaam noted the “severe winter weather” in the area where the accident occurred, with as much as 3 feet of new snow falling the night before.
The Hawkeye star underwent surgery following the accident and remains in the ICU in critical but stable condition.
Renner’s publicist, Samantha Mast, said on Tuesday that the actor was out of surgery and was stable having suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopaedic injuries.
His accident came days before rally icon and Top Gear star, Ken Block was killed in a snowmobile accident in Utah’s Wasatch County.
Dozens of people have died in recent weeks as the US has been battered with snowstorms. Sixty people were killed over the New Year weekend alone, across eight states. Thousands of homes have also been without power and travel has been severely disrupted.
Mast statement continued: “Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him.
The family also thanked the local police and fire services, and said they were “tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans”.
TMZ reported that Renner, 51, was aided by neighbours at the scene, one of whom was a doctor.
His family thanked “the Carano and Murdock families” in their statement.
Renner had shared updates previously on the amount of snow in his area, tweeting in December that “Lake Tahoe snowfall is no joke”.
The actor was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his role in The Hurt Locker in 2008, and for best supporting actor in The Town in 2010.
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