Actor Jeremy Renner has thanked fans for their “kind words” as he continues to recover in hospital after being run over by his own six-tonne snowplough.
The 51-year-old Marvel star shared an update on his condition on social media two days on from the incident, which occurred near his home.
Renner was airlifted to hospital on Sunday after suffering “blunt chest trauma and orthopaedic injuries” in an incident near the Mount Rose Highway, which links Lake Tahoe and south Reno, straddling the Nevada-California border.
Posting a picture of himself in a hospital bed with a bruised face on his official Instagram page, he told fans he was “too messed up” to send a longer message.
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“Thank you all for your kind words. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all,” he wrote.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Washoe County sheriff Darin Balaam said Renner was helping a family member, who had become stuck in heavy snow, when the incident occurred.
Mr Balaam said the sheriff’s office had received a call at 8.55am following reports of a crash involving a Snowcat ploughing machine and a civilian.
“Based on our investigation, Mr Renner’s personal vehicle, which was being driven by a family member, had become stuck in the snow near his home,” Mr Balaam told the news conference.
“Mr Renner went to retrieve his… Snowcat, an extremely large piece of snow removal equipment, weighing at least 14,330 pounds (6.4 tonnes), in an effort to get his vehicle moving.”
Mr Balaam said that after successfully freeing his vehicle, Renner had got out to speak with the family member when the Snowcat had begun to roll.
Renner had attempted to get back into the machine, at which point he was run over, he said.
Mr Balaam added that there were no signs of “any foul play” and that the incident had been a “tragic accident”.
He went on to praise Renner, who is an honorary Washoe County deputy sheriff, and his “tremendous impact” in the community.
“He’s had a huge impact, not only in this office and helping us with our outreach… but throughout the community he has been very generous,” Mr Balaam said.
“He is one of those individuals that, most of the time you don’t know that he’s doing it, but he has made a tremendous impact on this community.”
Renner, a two-time Oscar nominee, is well-known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He has featured in other films including The Hurt Locker, American Hustle, and Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
In a statement provided to the PA news agency, Renner’s publicist said: “Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County sheriff, Reno City mayor Hillary Schieve and the Carano and Murdock families.
“They are also tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”
The incident involving Renner’s comes as blizzard conditions battered the US over the Christmas and new year period, resulting in dozens of deaths.
An Arctic blast stirred up heavy winds and snow in Nevada on New Year’s Eve, leaving thousands without power.
Meanwhile, another low pressure system bringing heavy snow and ice is set to become the latest winter storm to hit the area in the coming days, according to the US National Weather Service website.
Renner has previously spoken about the snow at his US ranch a number of times on social media.
He tweeted a photograph of what appeared to be his car trapped under several feet of snow in December, writing: “Lake Tahoe snowfall is no joke.”
Meanwhile, in an Instagram highlights post titled Holiday, the actor shared a photograph of his snowplough, captioning it: “Snow cat buried in snow at the ranch.”
He also shared a video from his snowplough a week ago on his Instagram story, writing: “Who is excited for the holidays”, and another post which read: “Nearly done with sledding hill for the kids.” – PA
