Actor Jeremy Renner’s life-threatening injuries suffered on New Year’s Day from his 14,000-pound snowplow came as a result of a heroic effort to save his nephew.
According to a Nevada sheriff’s office incident report, the tragic incident began when Renner, 52, used his PistenBully snowcat to pull his nephew’s truck out of his driveway. Once the truck was on the street, the snowplow began “sliding sideways,” and then “began to roll down the hill,” prompting Renner to jump out without setting the emergency brake. But then Renner realized the snowplow was headed toward his nephew.
“He feared the Pistenbully was going to hit (his nephew), so he decided to attempt to stop or divert the Pistenbully,” the report states. Renner tried to enter the snowplow’s cab but in order to do so he had to climb onto its moving track. He was “immediately pulled under the left side track,” the report adds.
“Although the Pistenbully had some mechanical issues, it is believed based on our mechanical inspection that the parking brake would keep the Pistenbully from moving forward. When Renner attempted to stop or divert the Pistenbully to avoid injury to (his nephew), he was pulled under the vehicle by the track and run over,” the report concludes.
A 911 call obtained by CNN shows a neighbor frantically calling 911, saying Renner had been “completely crushed under a large snowcat,” adding that “the right side of his chest … collapsed – upper torso is crushed.”
During the 911 call, the female operator stated, “I need the address of the emergency please,” The Daily Mail reported.
“I told you,” the frustrated neighbor responded.
“I know, I just need to verify it, what is the phone number that you’re calling from,” the female operator insisted, adding, “What is the phone you’re calling from, just in case we get disconnected.”
“Listen to me, you might want to get life line out here immediately,” the neighbor said urgently, later saying, “He’s got a headwound as well. Can you give me an ETA?”
“It’s hard to give an ETA just because the snow on the mountain I don’t know how quick they’re able to go,” the female operator responded.
“How’s he doing?” the operator asked. “Shallow breath, a lot of pain; he’s conscious we have him covered in blankets, his heads covered; he’ll be drifting off,” the neighbor responded.
“Is he starting to kind of drift off into sleep?” the operator asked.
“Yeah,” the neighbor responded.
It took over 20 minutes for Renner’s rescuers to reach him as roads were closed from heavy snow. He was airlifted by helicopter from his home in Reno, Nevada, to Renown Regional Medical Center, the region’s only trauma center.
Over the weekend Renner said he hoped the “30 plus broken bones will mend, grow stronger, just like the love and bond with family and friends deepens.”