Jeremy Renner snow plow accident: 3 new details revealed in Diane Sawyer interview

Jeremy Renner had a tragic start to the year 2023. Around 9 am on January 1, he had an almost-fatal accident when he was run over by his 14,330-pound (roughly 6, 500 kgs) Sno-Cat or snow plow. The mishap left him with over 30 broken bones, collapsed lungs, and pierced liver, among many other terrifying injuries.

Renner was airlifted to Renown Regional Medical Center, where he underwent surgery and remained in the ICU in a “critical but stable condition” for close to 20 days. He announced on January 17 that he’s back home and recovering.

The Academy Award nominee recounted it all in Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview -- A Story of Terror, Survival, and Triumph, which hit ABC on Thursday, April 6, at 10 p.m. ET. It’s currently available on Hulu as well.

This was his first-ever on-screen appearance since the accident that happened near his Nevada home. Detailing the horror, Renner indicated that he survived because he wasn’t alone.

The actor was referring to his 27-year-old nephew Alex Fries and neighbors Rich Kovach and Barb Fletcher, who called up 911 immediately after the incident asking for firefighters and paramedics.

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Saying sorry to kin to writing last note, Jeremy Renner tells it all

1) Goodbye note to his family

While talking to Diane Sawyer, Renner said that he gestured “sorry” to his family in sign language. He was intubated in the hospital at the time and couldn’t speak.

The Marvel star also remembered preparing a goodbye note for them while lying in critical condition on his bed. A teary-eyed Renner said:

“I'm writing down notes in my phone to -- last words to my family.”

Thanking his family for their massive help and support, The Town actor added:

“What we just endured. That's real love. It's suffering. But that feeds the seeds of what love is.”

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2) Jeremy Renner “was awake” throughout his ordeal

As Sawyer narrated his list of scary injuries, a visibly shuddered Renner nodded and revealed that he “was awake through every moment.” He said:

“I started moving my legs…I said, ‘Oh, that one -- that one’s really messed up.’ And I'm thinkin' like, 'What's my body look like? Am I just gonna be like a spine in a brain like a science experiment?'"

Fries, who was with Renner when the January accident happened, tried to help the actor breathe by holding onto his arm.

Meanwhile, Kovach said that there was a lot of blood on the spot, while Renner “was just in such pain,” and turned "gray-green" after a while. He added:

“And the sounds that were coming out of him…When I looked at his head it appeared to me to be cracked wide open. And I could see white, I don't know if that was his skull, if it -- maybe it was just my imagination but that's what I thought I saw.”

Fletcher, on her part, applied pressure using towels while Renner “was really struggling to breathe.”

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3) The path forward for Jeremy Renner

Though the incident would have been very traumatic for him, the actor refused “to be f****** haunted by that memory.” He emphasized that he’d “do it again,” and has “no regrets.” The 52-year-old said:

“I shifted the narrative of it being victimized or making a mistake or anything else… That’s a man that I’m proud of because I wouldn’t let that happen to my nephew (Jeremy Renner got run over by the snow plow while trying to save Fries).”

Notably, surgeons rebuilt the Hawkeye actor’s rib cage and eye socket with metal screws and plates while fixing his jaw with rubber screws and bands. His broken leg was mended using a titanium rod.

Given this, Renner might not be able to do his stunts, which he’s okay with.

The Hurt Locker star will next be seen in the documentary mini-series Rennervations, slated to hit Disney+ on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.