“At approximately 9:00am on January 1, 2023, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a traumatic injury in the area of Mt. Rose Highway in Reno, Nevada,” the sheriff’s office said that day. The man hurt was Jeremy Renner, “a two-time Oscar nominee” who is “best known for playing the superhero Hawkeye in the Marvel ‘Avengers’ films and his own spin-off TV series,” as the Associated Press put it. That morning, at what LBC calls “his Lake Tahoe home,” “Renner towed his nephew’s truck out of the snow at his Reno property on a private road,” NBC News reported. “Renner retrieved his PistenBully, or snowcat — ‘an extremely large piece of snow removal equipment weighing at least 14,330 pounds’ — to help tow the stuck vehicle,” the sheriff, Darin Balaam, told reporters, Good Morning America reported.
Then the machine began to move. “He then got out of his snowcat to speak to the family member, at which point the equipment started to roll forward,” the sheriff said. The sheriff’s report, as NBC News summarized it, says “The plow, called a Pistenbully, started sliding down a hill so Renner got out,” and “The plow — which runs on a track — was then sliding toward his nephew, who was in his truck.” “I was on asphalt and ice,” Renner later told ABC, CBS News reported. His nephew was Alex: “It was my nephew. Sweet Alex,” Renner said on ABC.
“When Renner attempted to stop or divert the Pistenbully to avoid injury to (his nephew), he was pulled under the vehicle,” CNN reported from the sheriff’s report. “To enter the snowplow’s cab, Renner had to climb onto its moving track and was ‘immediately pulled under the left side track,’ the report notes.” “The Pistenbully rolled over him and continued down the road,” the report says. “The snowcat ended up pushing the truck Alex was in up against a snowbank, but he was safe and able to get out,” CBS News reported. “We believe this was a tragic accident,” the sheriff said.
“Doctors said he had more than 30 broken bones,” CBS News reported; on Instagram, Renner wrote, “These 30 plus broken bones will mend.” In April 2023, in his first interview since the accident, he told ABC News’s Diane Sawyer, “I was awake through every moment.” And, in the words Entertainment Tonight quoted from ABC’s promo: “I chose to survive, this is not going to kill me.”
“Following multiple surgeries, it took two and a half months for Renner to be able to begin walking with a cane,” CBS Los Angeles reported. At the premiere of a new series in April 2023, the Associated Press reported, he was “at times making use of a cane and a knee scooter.” In January 2024, CBS Los Angeles reported, “Actor Jeremy Renner returned to work on the set of ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Wednesday, after taking a year off following a near-death snowplow accident”; he posted, “Day one on set … nervous today.” Asked about that morning, he told ABC News: “Yeah, I’d do it again — because it was going right at my nephew.”
Fact check
The facts and where they come from
- A runaway snowcat was sliding toward his nephew, so he went straight for it. NBC News (the sheriff’s report): “The plow — which runs on a track — was then sliding toward his nephew, who was in his truck.” CNN (the report): “When Renner attempted to stop or divert the Pistenbully to avoid injury to (his nephew), he was pulled under the vehicle.” Good Morning America: “run over by unmanned snowcat.” 432
- His name is Jeremy Renner. The Associated Press: “Renner, a two-time Oscar nominee.” US Army photo caption, 2010: “He was nominated for best actor for his portrayal of Sgt. 1st Class William James … in ‘The Hurt Locker.’” 1013
- In the movies, he plays the superhero Hawkeye. The Associated Press: “best known for playing the superhero Hawkeye in the Marvel ‘Avengers’ films and his own spin-off TV series.” CNN: “Renner, who plays superhero archer Hawkeye in the Marvel movie and TV ‘Universe.’” 105
- On New Year’s Day 2023, at his home near Lake Tahoe, a truck got stuck. Washoe County Sheriff’s Office: “At approximately 9:00am on January 1, 2023, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a traumatic injury in the area of Mt. Rose Highway in Reno, Nevada.” LBC: “his Lake Tahoe home.” NBC News: “Renner towed his nephew’s truck out of the snow at his Reno property on a private road.” Good Morning America: “to help tow the stuck vehicle.” 11242
- He towed it free with his snowcat, a giant machine on tracks. Good Morning America: “Renner retrieved his PistenBully, or snowcat — ‘an extremely large piece of snow removal equipment weighing at least 14,330 pounds’ — to help tow the stuck vehicle, Balaam told reporters.” NBC News: “towed his nephew’s truck out of the snow”; “The plow — which runs on a track.” 24
- Then, on the ice, the empty snowcat began to slide. Good Morning America (the sheriff): “He then got out of his snowcat to speak to the family member, at which point the equipment started to roll forward.” NBC News (the report): “The plow, called a Pistenbully, started sliding down a hill so Renner got out.” Renner, in CBS News: “I was on asphalt and ice.” 247
- It was rolling toward his nephew, Alex. NBC News: “sliding toward his nephew, who was in his truck.” CBS News: “his nephew Alex was out there helping him.” Renner, on ABC: “It was my nephew. Sweet Alex.” 476
- He climbed onto the moving track to stop it, and it pulled him under. CNN: “To enter the snowplow’s cab, Renner had to climb onto its moving track and was ‘immediately pulled under the left side track,’ the report notes.” 3
- More than 14,000 pounds rolled over him. Good Morning America: “weighing at least 14,330 pounds.” CNN: “The Pistenbully rolled over him and continued down the road,” the report says. 23
- He broke more than 30 bones. His post, in CNN: “These 30 plus broken bones will mend.” CBS News: “Doctors said he had more than 30 broken bones.” 57
- “I was awake through every moment,” he said. ABC News: “‘I was awake through every moment,’ he told Sawyer.” 6
- His nephew was safe. CBS News: “The snowcat ended up pushing the truck Alex was in up against a snowbank, but he was safe and able to get out.” 7
- “I chose to survive,” he said. Entertainment Tonight: “I chose to survive, this is not going to kill me,” he says. NBC Los Angeles: “I chose to survive, you’re not gonna kill me, no way.” ABC News: he told Sawyer that he “chose to survive.” 896
- Within three months, he was walking with a cane. CBS Los Angeles: “Following multiple surgeries, it took two and a half months for Renner to be able to begin walking with a cane.” The Associated Press (April 11, 2023): “at times making use of a cane and a knee scooter.” 1110
- A year later, he was back on set. CBS Los Angeles (January 11, 2024): “Actor Jeremy Renner returned to work on the set of ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Wednesday, after taking a year off following a near-death snowplow accident.” His post: “Day one on set … nervous today.” 11
- “I’d do it again,” he said. “Because it was going right at my nephew.” ABC News: “‘Yeah, I’d do it again — because it was going right at my nephew,’ he said.” NBC Los Angeles: he would “do it again” in a heartbeat, adding, “Because it was going right at my nephew.” 69
Sources
- WCSO Responds to Traumatic Injury Involving Jeremy Renner (press release #2023-0101, January 1, 2023; archived copy) Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
- Jeremy Renner run over by unmanned snowcat in ‘tragic accident’: Sheriff (January 4, 2023) ABC News / Good Morning America
- Jeremy Renner was crushed by snowplow as he tried to save nephew from injury, sheriff’s report says (Paul P. Murphy, January 25, 2023) CNN, on 6abc
- Jeremy Renner was trying to stop snowplow from hitting nephew when he was crushed, officials say (Samantha Kubota, January 26, 2023) NBC News
- Actor Jeremy Renner says he broke at least 30 bones in Nevada snowplow accident (Jay Croft, January 22, 2023) CNN, on 6abc
- 1st look at Jeremy Renner’s exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer after accident (April 5, 2023) ABC News
- Jeremy Renner speaks about snowplow injuries in emotional first interview (Li Cohen, April 7, 2023) CBS News
- Jeremy Renner’s first TV interview: “I chose to survive” (Tionah Lee, March 29, 2023) Entertainment Tonight
- Emotional Jeremy Renner says he would ‘do it again’ to save nephew in first interview since accident (E! News, March 2023) NBC Los Angeles
- Jeremy Renner attends premiere of new series after snowplow accident (April 11, 2023) The Associated Press, on NBC New York
- Actor Jeremy Renner is back to work after last year’s near-death snowplow accident (January 11, 2024) CBS Los Angeles
- Jeremy Renner’s memoir, as reported from The Times (Emma Soteriou, April 28, 2025) LBC
- Jeremy Renner at the 82nd Academy Awards (US Army photo 100307-A-6452C-620 and its caption, March 7, 2010) Wikimedia Commons
Notes
Weight: the sheriff said “at least 14,330 pounds” (Good Morning America); other reports say “more than 7-ton,” “seven-ton” or “14,000-pound.” The Short says “more than fourteen thousand pounds,” true in every version; the headline’s “seven tons” is the round figure (14,330 pounds is about 7.2 US tons).
Bones: “30 plus” in his own post and “more than 30” from his doctors, as CBS News reported. A higher count he gave in a 2024 interview is not used.
Place: the sheriff says “the area of Mt. Rose Highway in Reno, Nevada,” NBC News “his Reno property on a private road,” and LBC “his Lake Tahoe home.” The Short says “at his home near Lake Tahoe.” Whose truck it was (his nephew’s, per NBC News) is only “a truck” in the Short.
How he came to be out of the cab: the sheriff said he got out to talk to his nephew and the machine then rolled; the report, as NBC News summarized it, says he got out because it was sliding; the reports of his ABC interview say he lost his footing. The Short says only that the snowcat was empty when it slid.
“Saved his nephew’s life” isn’t said here: the snowcat still pushed the truck Alex was in against a snowbank, and Alex was safe (CBS News). The Short tells what Renner tried to do and his own words.
Timing: “within three months” rounds up the two and a half months it took him to begin walking with a cane (CBS Los Angeles); “a year later” is his return to the set in January 2024.
Jeremy Renner and his nephew are alive. Only the sheriff’s statements, reporting by major outlets and Renner’s own published words are used; nothing here weighs blame. Left out: the report’s mechanical findings, his injuries beyond the bone count, the 911 call and the bodycam video, the different waiting times reported, his family, his neighbors and his memoir beyond its mention of his home. His nephew is named only as Alex, the way Renner named him on ABC, and is not shown.
Pictures: no free photo shows the accident, the scene, his snowcat, his nephew or his recovery. Jeremy Renner himself is at the 82nd Academy Awards on March 7, 2010 (a US Army photo by Sgt. Michael Connors); with the Avengers cast on stage at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, 2010 (rwoan; he is seventh from left, and the others are not named here); at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2019, and at an event in Phoenix on June 2, 2023, five months after the accident (Gage Skidmore); on stage at Cadogan Hall, London, on June 12, 2025 (two photos by Raph_PH); and at GalaxyCon San Jose on August 16, 2025 (Super Festivals). Mount Rose is seen after a snowstorm on December 25, 2010 (Ken Lund), and in Jrmichae’s photos of the Mount Rose Highway after fresh snow on February 9, 2015, Mount Rose Summit in a storm on February 6, 2014, and fresh snow at Mount Rose Ski Tahoe on February 9, 2015; none shows the day of the accident. The four PistenBully snow groomers are none of them his: a PistenBully 100 at the Frisco Nordic Center, Colorado, on November 18, 2011 (Mr.choppers), one in the Bucegi mountains, Romania, on May 18, 2016 (Tiia Monto), the view from a PistenBully driver’s seat on November 4, 2016 (Stefan.straub), and a PistenBully 100 at dusk in Janské Lázně, Czech Republic, on February 12, 2022 (Fallaner).
Photo credits
The archive photos in this story
The photographs and illustrations in this story are in the public domain or shared under open licenses; each one is credited below with its license. Tap one to enlarge it, or follow the link to its Wikimedia Commons page for the full record. The narration, captions and graphics in the Short are our own; its music and sound effects are credited below.
Music and sound effects
Music: Brahms, Tragic Overture, Op. 81 (Musopen Symphony Orchestra, CC0); Mussorgsky, Night on Bald Mountain (1886 version) (Musopen, public domain); Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 'From the New World': II. Largo (Musopen, public domain); Brahms, Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68: IV. Adagio - Piu andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio (Musopen Symphony Orchestra, CC0).
Sound effects: Freesound, CC0.
.jpg){kind=link}
