Actor Jeremy Renner was struck by his own snowplow while moving snow near his home near Reno, Nevada.
Renner, known for his role as Hawkeye in Disney’s Marvel superhero franchise, was attacked Sunday morning, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said Tuesday. The incident occurred while Renner was trying to pull his own car, driven by a relative, out of the snow.
«We just got about 3 feet on top of anything else they’ve gotten before this big snowstorm, but 3 feet of fresh snow,» Balaam said.
Balaam described the road Renner was clearing as a private road, not maintained by the county.
Renner used his own plow, described as a PistenBully weighing more than 14,000 pounds, to dig the car out of the snow. He went to talk to a family member when the machine started rolling, Balaam said.
«In an effort to stop the rolling PistenBully, Mr. Renner attempted to get back into the driver’s seat… It was at this point that Mr. Renner was struck,» Balaam said.
Neighbors went to help and offer first aid while waiting for first responders. Officials received the call around 8:50 a.m. but were unable to reach Renner for another 40 minutes because weather conditions affected traffic.
Renner was airlifted to a nearby hospital and placed in intensive care. He underwent surgery Sunday night for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries, his spokeswoman said Monday.
Renner posted what appeared to be a selfie Tuesday night from his hospital bed thanking fans for their support.
«Thank you all for your kind words,» he captioned the post. «I’m too messy right now to write. But I’m sending love to you all.»
Balaam described Renner as a «great neighbor» who often cleared the roads for others after snow storms and was a beloved member of the community.
«Throughout the community, he’s been very generous,» Balaam said. «And he’s one of those guys that I can tell you most of the time, you don’t know he’s doing it.»
Renner often posts to her social media accounts from her home near Lake Tahoe, including a video in November in which she appeared drive a jeep wrangler in the snow.
«Monday morning pre-winter prep couldn’t be more fun,» she captioned the clip on Instagram.
Renner has been nominated twice for an Oscar for his performances in «The Hurt Locker» and «The Town.» He also stars in «Mayor of Kingstown,» a Paramount+ series that is scheduled to return for its second season next week.