RENO, NEVADA (AP) – The sheriff in Reno said on Tuesday, the serious injuries actor Jeremy Renner suffered while using a snow tractor to free a snowbound motorist on a private mountain road near Lake Tahoe appear to be a “tragic accident”.
Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said, the 51-year-old Avengers star was seriously hurt when he was run over by his own snowcat after using it to free a vehicle driven by a family member that became stuck in 0.9 metres of fresh mountain snow on new year’s day.
Balaam told reporters, an investigation is continuing but there were no signs of foul play or any indication Renner was impaired at the time of the Sunday morning incident.
The sheriff said, “At this point in the investigation … we believe this is a tragic accident. He was being a great neighbour and he was ploughing those roads for his neighbours.”
According to a publicist and sheriff’s officials who said Renner was flown by medical helicopter about 40.23 kilometres to a Reno hospital, the accident left Renner in critical but stable condition with chest and orthopaedic injuries.
About the same time reporters were gathering with Balaam on Tuesday, Renner posted an Instagram photo of himself in a hospital bed and a message, missing an apostrophe.
“Thank you all for your kind words,” it said. “Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”
Balaam said Renner had used his Pistenbully snow groomer, a seven-tonne vehicle he owns, to tow another personal vehicle that had become snowbound on a private road he shares with neighbours.
Balaam said, “After successfully towing his personal vehicle from its stuck location, Mr. Renner got out of his (snowcat) to speak to his family member. The Pistenbully started to roll. In an effort to stop (it), Renner attempts to climb back into the driver’s seat. It’s at this point that Renner is run over.”
The sheriff said the snowcat was impounded and is being examined by investigators “for any mechanical failure and why it started to roll”.
Balaam said on Tuesday that it took first responders from Reno more than 30 minutes to traverse the several miles of snowy road to reach Renner on the private road off the highway.
As many as 20 vehicles had been abandoned on the roadway while three feet of fresh snow fell overnight, slowing the fire engine and ambulance response.
