Jeremy Renner has issued his first statement since being hit by his own snowplow, with authorities revealing that the 6,500kg vehicle ran over the Avengers star when it began to roll unexpectedly. The actor shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Instagram, captioning it: 'Thank you all for your kind words. I'm too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.'
The 51-year-old was airlifted to hospital on Sunday after a serious accident while using his snowplow at his home near Reno, Nevada. He underwent surgery for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries. A witness told TMZ that a neighbour who is a doctor applied a tourniquet to his heavily bleeding leg until paramedics arrived.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said the investigation found that Renner was struck while trying to free his car, which was being driven by a family member, from snow. Renner retrieved his PistenBully snow removal equipment to tow the vehicle, but after successfully freeing it, he got out to speak to the family member. At that point, the PistenBully began to roll, and Renner attempted to get back into the driver's seat, where he was run over.
Balaam described the incident as a 'tragic accident' and said the sheriff's office is investigating a possible mechanical failure in the snowplow. The northern Nevada region experienced heavy snowstorms over Christmas and New Year, leaving over 10,000 Washoe County residents without power.
