CNN
—
Actor Jeremy Renner thanked fans from his hospital bed on Tuesday as he continued to recover from two surgeries after being injured by a snow plow in what officials described as ‘a tragic accident’ .
“Thank you all for your kind words. Im too messed up now to type. But sending love to you all,” Renner wrote in a caption below a selfie photo apparently showing him in a hospital bed.
The ‘Hawkeye’ actor was injured on New Year’s Day near his Nevada home while clearing snow from a private driveway to help his family members leave his home after gathering for the holidays, according to his publicist, Samantha Mast.
“Jeremy is making positive progress and is awake, talking and in good spirits,” Mast said in a statement late Tuesday. “He remains in intensive care in a critical but stable condition. He is overwhelmed by the show of love and support. The family asks for your continued thoughts as he heals with his loved ones.
Renner, 51, was knocked down by his snowcat, a motorized machine used to clear snow, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said Tuesday at a news conference.
At one point, the machine began to roll while Renner was not in the driver’s seat, Balaam said. He was injured while trying to get back into the machine, Balaam said. Renner’s family members were with him when he was injured.
A spokesperson for Renner previously told CNN he suffered “blunt force trauma to the chest and orthopedic injuries.” The actor has undergone two surgeries related to the injuries so far, a source close to the actor told CNN.
Minutes before 9 a.m. Sunday, authorities were notified of the crash through a 911 call reporting a crash involving a snowcat and a pedestrian on the Mount Rose Highway, Balaam said Tuesday.
Even though it was not snowing at the time, that highway was closed and at least a dozen cars were stranded due to harsh winter conditions hitting the area, Balaam said.
Due to the conditions, a helicopter landed near the freeway at 9:37 a.m., and Renner was taken to a Reno-area hospital at 9:56 a.m., Balaam said.
At the time of the injury, parts of western Nevada were covered in snow. The Reno area received between 6 and 12 inches of snow at elevations below 5,000 feet between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and up to 18 inches at higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
“He was a great neighbor and he was plowing these roads for his neighbor,” Balaam said of Renner.
Authorities do not believe Renner was intoxicated during the incident, with Balaam calling it “a tragic accident”.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office asked Renner to take the snowcat for analysis to “rule out any potential mechanical failures,” which is a normal part of the investigation with this severity of injuries, Balaam said. .
A day after the crash, Renner’s family released a statement thanking hospital staff and first responders while the actor remained hospitalized.
“Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses caring for him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, the Washoe County Sheriff, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, and the Carano and Murdock families,” reads -on in a press release from his spokesperson. “They are also extremely overwhelmed and appreciate the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”
0