(CNN) — Actor Jeremy Renner thanked fans from his hospital bed Tuesday as he continued to recover from two surgeries after being injured by a snowplow in what authorities described as “a tragic accident.”
“Thank you all for your kind words. I am too upset now to write. But I’m sending love to all of you,” Renner wrote in a caption below a photo that apparently shows 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 family members get out of their home after gathering for the holidays, according to his publicist. , Samantha Mast.
“Jeremy is making positive progress and is awake, talking and in a good mood,” Mast said in a statement released Tuesday night. “He remains in the ICU in critical but stable condition. He is overwhelmed by the show of love and support. The family asks for his continued thoughts as he heals with his closest loved ones.”
Renner, 51, was struck by his snowcat, a motor-driven machine used to clear snow, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said during a news conference Tuesday.
At some point, the machine began to move forward while Renner was not in the driver’s seat, Balaam said. He was injured when he was trying to get back on the machine, Balaam explained. Some members of Renner’s family were with him when he was injured.
A spokesperson for Renner previously told CNN that he suffered “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.” So far, the actor has undergone two surgeries related to the injuries, a source close to the actor told CNN.
“I was being a great neighbor”
Minutes before 9 a.m. Sunday, authorities received word of the crash via a 911 call reporting a crash involving a snowplow truck and a pedestrian on Mount Rose Highway, Balaam said Tuesday.
Even though it wasn’t snowing at the time, that road was closed and at least a dozen cars were stranded due to severe winter weather hitting the area, Balaam said.
Because of these conditions, a helicopter landed near the highway at 9:37 a.m. and Renner was taken to a Reno-area hospital at 9:56 a.m., Balaam said.
Renner posted a video in 2019 of him clearing snow to his Instagram account. (Jeremy Renner/Instagram)
At the time of the injury, parts of western Nevada were covered in snow.
“He was being a great neighbor and he was clearing those roads for his neighbor,” Balaam said of Renner.
Authorities do not believe Renner was intoxicated during the incident, and Balaam said it was “a tragic accident.”
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office took Renner’s snowcat away for analysis to “rule out any potential mechanical failure,” which is a normal part of the investigation with this severity of injuries, Balaam said.
A day after the accident, Renner’s family issued a statement thanking the 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 who care for him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff, City of Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, and the Carano and Murdock families.” said a statement from his spokesman. “They are also tremendously overwhelmed and grateful for the outpouring of love and support from their fans.”
CNN’s Taylor Romine, Nouran Salahieh, Tina Burnside, Christine Sever and Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.
