“Hawkeye” actor Jeremy Renner has made his first statement since suffering a severe snowplowing accident on Jan. 1.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Renner, who remains hospitalized, thanked his fans for their support.
“Thank you all for your kind words,” he wrote on Instagram. “Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”
What happened to Jeremy Renner?
Renner is recovering from surgeries following a snowplowing accident on New Year’s Day, CNN reported.
Renner — well known for his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — sustained “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries” in a snowplowing accident in Reno, Nevada, on the morning of Jan. 1, according to CNN. The actor has a home near Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe Resort, and was airlifted to a nearby hospital following the incident, the Reno Gazette Journal reported.
On Monday evening, following at least two surgeries, the 51-year-old actor was in the ICU in “critical but stable condition,” a spokesperson for Renner told CNN.
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam provided more details about Renner’s accident.
He said one of Renner’s family members had been driving the actor’s personal vehicle when it became stuck in the snow near Renner’s home. Renner then went to retrieve his snowcat — a PistenBully that weighed over 14,000 pounds, Balaam said. After successfully towing his personal vehicle, Renner then got out of his PistenBully to speak to the family member. During this time, the snowcat proceeded to roll and Renner attempted to get back in the driver’s seat to stop it from rolling.
Balaam said they are in possession of the machine and are analyzing it to rule out “any potential mechanical failure” — an action that is a standard part of the investigation process, he said. The county sheriff said his office doesn’t believe Renner was impaired, and reiterated that they don’t suspect foul play, calling it a “tragic accident.”
“He was being a great neighbor and he was plowing those roads for his neighbor,” Balaam said, noting that Renner was allowed to operate the snowcat because he was on a private road.
Balaam said his office received a 911 call for a crash involving a snowcat and a pedestrian at 8:55 a.m. on Jan. 1. Balaam noted there was a delay in getting to the scene because the incident took place on a private road not maintained by the county. The night before had seen an additional three feet of snow, and there were several cars abandoned on multiple roads. Although it was not snowing at the time of the accident, the nearby Mt. Rose Highway was closed at that hour due to “severe winter weather,” Balaam said.
Balaam said some of Renner’s neighbors came out with towels to assist the actor as they waited for first responders to arrive.
Ultimately, Renner was airlifted to a nearby Reno hospital at 9:56 a.m.
Renner currently stars in Paramount+’s “Mayor of Kingstown,” which is supposed to return with Season 2 on Jan. 15, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor also stars in “Rennervations,” a new reality series expected on Disney+ this year, Extratv.com reported.
“Jeremy is making positive progress and is awake, talking and in good spirits,” Samantha Mast, a publicist for Renner, said a new statement released Tuesday evening, per CNN. “He remains in ICU in critical but stable condition. 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.”