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On January 1, 2023, Jeremy Renner was nearly killed in an accident involving a snow plow, and it took him out of commission for a long time. He was flown by helicopter to a nearby regional trauma center and underwent surgery before being placed in intensive care in critical but stable condition. News of the accident spread quickly due to Renner’s celebrity status, and details soon emerged of precisely what happened. Renner’s injuries were extensive and required a great deal of rehabilitation, which helped him walk again. 

Renner remained in the hospital for more than two weeks, and it wasn’t clear upon his release if he’d ever perform — or for that matter, walk — without assistance. Three months after the incident, Renner was able to walk with a cane, but it took considerable time before the actor could return to his previous level of activity. When you consider the fact that Renner was 52 at the time of the accident, it’s amazing he survived at all. Thankfully, his health was already excellent due to his years of playing a superhero.

Doctors partly attributed his survival and recovery to the excellent mental and physical shape he was in at the time of the accident. It happened on his property outside of Reno, Nevada, while he was operating a seven-ton PistonBully snow plow. He was injured while protecting his nephew, Alexander Fries, from the plow. Here’s what happened on that fateful January day when Renner was nearly killed by his own equipment.

On January 1, 2023, Renner and his nephew, Jeremy Fries, were trying to clear a road outside the property so the family could go on a ski trip. Fries was moving a pickup truck, and Renner was operating the plow to get the truck unstuck, which it did. Renner then started to move the plow out of the way, but it began to skid uncontrollably. Renner couldn’t see Fries at this time, so he leaned outside of the cab to check on him. Unfortunately, putting his foot out “Was a mistake,” which he told Diane Sawyer during her 2023 interview with him.

His foot was caught on the track, and he tried to return to the cab but was pulled under the treads, causing the whole thing to roll over him. Fries watched helplessly as his uncle was dragged beneath the plow, so he ran over to check on him. Fries initially believed his uncle was dead, telling Sawyer, “When I ran up to him, I didn’t think he was alive … Then his head kind of turned, and this breath came out of him.”

Renner technically did die briefly before being revived. After 45 minutes, he was treated at the scene before being taken away for more robust medical care. He broke 38 bones, amounting to 15% of his skeleton being crushed or fractured in some manner. He broke 14 ribs, and suffered a broken right knee, ankle, and shoulder; one of his lungs collapsed; he lost six quarts of blood; he fractured his jaw and eye socket, and his liver was pierced.

Jeremy Renner’s injuries were more than most people could handle, and being a public figure, he’s been good about detailing his recovery to the world. While undergoing rehab, Renner shared videos showing him doing whatever it took to return to normal. He started his rehabilitation by using a walker, which led to slow steps on a treadmill. After this, Renner began using a cane and could then walk without it, and toward the end of his initial recovery, he could run once more.

Renner’s first proper interview after his recovery came in June 2024 via Men’s Health, where he recounted what he went through and how he was able to overcome his many injuries. Most notably, he explained how he focused on taking one breath after the other, which helped him get through it. In April 2025, Renner published his memoir about the accident and his long road to recovery in “My Next Breath.”

While Renner has made tremendous progress in his recovery, the actor understands he’ll be at it for much longer. He explained to People in May 2024, “I had to accept it for the rest of my life. There’ll be nothing normal or as it was prior to the accident. By the way, I’m okay with that … I’m healthier because of it.” His positive attitude, return to acting, and the support of family and friends have helped him move beyond the accident, but he’ll likely never be back up to 100%, which is understandable given the scope of the damage the plow did.