‘A true hero’: Jeremy Renner’s Avengers co-stars rally behind him after snowplow accident
Shortly before he was struck down and ran over by a wayward snow plow, Jeremy Renner had to do a heroic stunt that would have made his onscreen persona Hawkeye proud.
According to Variety magazine, Renner was in Lake Tahoe in Nevada state with his family for some holiday bonding on January 1, New Year, but the heavy winter weather had the family stranded in deep snow.
Citing the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Variety reported that Renner was trying to rescue a family member who was stuck in three feet-thick snow near his home by using a large tracked vehicle to break the snow out. What happened next was something that could be straight out of a movie scene.
“Mr. Renner went to retrieve his PistenBully or Sno-Cat — an extremely large piece of snow removal equipment weighing at least 14,330 pounds — in an effort to get his vehicle moving. After successfully towing his personal vehicle from its stuck location, Mr. Renner got out of his PistenBully to speak to his family member. At this point, it was observed that the PistenBully started to roll,” Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said during a press conference.
“In an effort to stop the rolling PistenBully, Mr. Renner attempts to get back into the driver’s seat of the PistenBully. Based on our investigation, it’s at this point that Mr. Renner is run over by the PistenBully. An eyewitness detailed seeing Mr. Renner getting into the PistenBully and not seeing him again until the PistenBully came to a rest in a pile of snow in front of his driveway,” the sheriff further said.
Article continues after this advertisementRenner, ran over by a six-ton vehicle, was flown in to a hospital in Reno for treatment where he had to undergo two surgeries for “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries”. He was initially declared in “critical but stable condition” and had to be treated in the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Article continues after this advertisementFrom his hospital bed a day after the accident, Renner posted a selfie wherein he was seen with a huge bruise in the face and a tube on his nose attached to an oxygen support.
Shortly after, messages of support from celebrities, including his fellow Avengers actors Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Paul Bettany (Vision), John Brolin (Thanos), and Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America) began pouring in.
Evangeline Lilly, who played Hope van Dyne, alias Wasp in the Avengers movies, said Renner was “a true hero,” adding in her Instagram post that she was not surprised to learn that he got hurt while helping someone in need.
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“Jeremy has always been one of the most grounded and real people I ever met in Hollywood. From the first time we worked together on #thehurtlocker I recognized his full-hearted, blue-collar goodness. A beautiful man who I adore. I send you my most honest well-wishes, Jeremy. You are so strong. I pray a quick and comforted recovery,” she said.
Anthony and Joseph Russo, collectively known as the Russo Brothers, who both helmed and produced some of the Avengers films also sent a message of support.
Even Jason Momoa, who played Aquaman from the competing cinematic world of DC, sent his regards to Renner.
EDV