Jeremy Renner Honors His 'ReBirthday' on Second Anniversary of Snowplow Accident and Thanks Those Who Saved His Life
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01/01/2025 04:51 PM
The actor, who was crushed by a 14,000-lb. snowplow on New Year's Day in 2023, paid tribute to the people who saved his life
Tristan Fewings/Getty; Jeremy Renner/Instagram
Jeremy Renner (left) and pictured in the hospital after his snowplow accident (right)Jeremy Renner is giving thanks to those who saved his life following the horrifying snowplow accident that nearly killed him on Jan. 1, 2023.
"Happy New Year blessings to you all…." the Mayor of Kingstown star, 53, wrote on Instagram in the caption of an image of Renner in a hospital bed surrounded by his medical team. "Ringing in my second 'ReBirthday' today."
"I send out my love, respect, and gratitude for the army of people that it took to put me back together again," he continued. "Thank you to each and every nurse, doctor, first responder… I literally owe you my life ."
"All my heart goes out to my beautiful, brave nephew and the angels (my neighbors) who jumped to my aid and endured the chaos for 45 long minutes on the icy asphalt New Years morning. I'm so sorry all the haunting images I imprinted on you all (I'll spare you all from the meat grinding images )…." he added.
Jeremy Renner/Instagram
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"My gratitude list is very long …. With the amount of love and prayers that flooded in from you all around the world (needing each and everyone of them), my family never leaving my side , with some divine intervention, a bit of luck and a whole lot of miracles … I stand strong again," wrote Renner.
He ended the message: "More Open. More Loved. More Connected. And f—--- BLESSED to take my next step, to take MY NEXT BREATH. Thank you with every fiber and cell in my body. I love you ALL ❤️. #MyNextBreath
Two years ago, Renner was in critical condition and nearly immobile after being struck and crushed by a seven-ton snowplow at his compound near Reno on Jan. 1. The area near Renner's mountain vacation home had weathered a blizzard, so the actor — who had hosted family for the holiday — hopped into the vehicle to clear the area and tow his car, which was parked on an icy road.
His nephew, Alex Fries — the son of Renner's sister Kym — was detaching the chain connecting the car to the plow, but Renner couldn't see him and became concerned for his safety. He later said he leaned out of the plow but did not set the parking brake and fell out. Worried it would roll into Fries, he tried to jump back in but got caught underneath the 9-ft.-tall vehicle, which ran over him.
Daniele Venturelli/Getty
Jeremy Renner attends the "We Live in Time" gala screening in December 2024Fries got help from Renner's neighbor Rich Kovach and his partner Barb Fletcher, who worked to keep Renner alive until paramedics arrived.
Renner suffered life-threatening blunt chest trauma, resulting in a collapsed lung, a lacerated liver and more than 30 broken bones.
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Though he was discharged from the hospital after two weeks, Renner couldn't get out of bed for a month following the accident and had to learn to walk again.
He told Diane Sawyer in an interview after the accident, "I chose to survive."
