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On January 1, 2023, Jeremy Renner was involved in a serious accident with a snow plow that almost claimed his life, leaving him incapacitated for quite some time. He was urgently airlifted to a nearby trauma center where he underwent surgery and was placed in critical but stable condition in the ICU. News of the incident quickly circulated due to his fame, and soon, more details on the accident were disclosed. Renner suffered severe injuries that required extensive rehabilitation, ultimately helping him regain his ability to walk.

Renner spent over two weeks in the hospital, and it was uncertain whether he could perform or even walk unassisted upon his discharge. Three months post-accident, Renner managed to walk with the aid of a cane, but it took a significant amount of time for him to resume his normal activities. Considering that Renner was 52 when the accident occurred, his survival was remarkable. Fortunately, his excellent physical condition, maintained from years of playing a superhero, contributed to his recovery.

Doctors credited his survival and recovery partly to his strong mental and physical health at the time of the accident. The event occurred at his property near Reno, Nevada, while he was operating a seven-ton PistonBully snow plow. He sustained injuries while trying to protect his nephew, Alexander Fries, from the machinery. Here’s the story of that critical day when Renner was nearly injured fatally by his own snow plow.

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.