On January 1, 2023, actor Jeremy Renner—best known for playing Hawkeye in Marvel’s Avengers films—was crushed by a 14,000-pound snowplow in a terrifying accident that changed his life forever. The incident occurred outside his Lake Tahoe home as he attempted to prevent the PistenBully Snowcat vehicle from rolling toward his nephew, Alex Fries.
Now, more than two years later, Renner is sharing graphic, emotional, and deeply personal details of the incident in his memoir, My Next Breath. In the book, released in April 2025, the 53-year-old Oscar-nominated actor revisits the haunting trauma and near-death experience that left him broken—physically and emotionally—but ultimately transformed.
The Moment That Changed Everything: “I Know I Died”
Renner opens up about the precise moment he believes he died after the snowplow ran him over. As he lay on the icy driveway, surrounded by snow and blood, his body severely mangled, he recounts a profound and surreal experience.
“After about 30 minutes on the ice, of breathing manually for so long, an effort akin to doing 10 or 20 push-ups per minute for half an hour… that’s when I died,” Renner writes in his book. “I died, right there on the driveway to my house. I know I died. In fact, I’m sure of it.”
Emergency medical responders later confirmed his heart rate had dropped to just 18 beats per minute—what he describes as being “basically dead.” During that time, Renner says he felt an “exhilarating peace,” as if time, space, and physical pain had all disappeared.
“There was no time, place, or space, and nothing to see, except a kind of electric, two-way vision made from strands of that inconceivable energy. I could see my lifetime. I could see everything all at once.”
A Brutal Body Count: Every Bone Crushed
The physical trauma Renner endured was catastrophic. He describes, in agonizing detail, the precise moment the steel monster rolled over him:
“Six f***ing wheels, seventy-six steel blades, 14,000 pounds of machine—all ranged against one human body,” he writes. “I hear all the bones crack… Skull, jaw, cheekbones, molars: fibula, tibia, lungs, eye sockets, cranium, pelvis, ulna, legs, arms, skin, crack, snap, crack, squeeze.”
In total, Renner broke more than 38 bones. He suffered a collapsed lung, a pierced liver, and a crushed orbital socket. In one particularly disturbing moment, he recalls:
“I could see my left eye with my right eye.”
First responders arrived amidst freezing temperatures and found him clinging to life. Bodycam footage from the scene shows a race against time as medics battled to stabilize him before airlifting him to a hospital.
The Long Road to Recovery: Pain, Steel, and Determination
Following the accident, Renner underwent multiple intensive surgeries, including reconstructive procedures on his face, legs, and chest. Titanium plates and rods were inserted into his body to restore shattered bones.
He humorously calls himself “Cyborg Renner” or “Tin Man,” reflecting on the immense hardware now inside him.
“I’ve got a metal plate in my face, rods in my legs. I’m a walking junkyard,” he told Jimmy Fallon in an earlier interview.
His rehabilitation involved excruciating physical therapy. For months, he couldn’t walk. He had to relearn basic tasks like standing, sitting, breathing deeply, and lifting a fork. Throughout 2023, he worked tirelessly with physical therapists and specialists.
Yet despite constant pain—swollen ankles, a frozen jaw, and persistent nerve damage—Renner returned to work. He resumed filming Mayor of Kingstown and recently joined the cast of Wake Up Dead Man, the third installment in the Knives Out mystery franchise.
Second Chance at Life: “My Next Breath”
In My Next Breath, Renner reflects not only on the accident, but on what it taught him about resilience, family, and the gift of being alive. He writes that he was hesitant to write about the incident at first, wondering if anyone would care or if it was too personal.
But over time, he realized his story might inspire others facing seemingly insurmountable odds.
“If we get too stressed or if things get too difficult or if it’s insurmountable odds… just put one foot down and then put another foot down,” Renner shared on The Tonight Show. “That’s how we get through it.”
Celebrating His “ReBirthday”: A Day of Gratitude
On January 1, 2025—exactly two years to the day of the accident—Renner marked what he calls his “second ReBirthday” with a heartfelt post on Instagram.
“Happy New Year blessings to you all… Ringing in my second ReBirthday today,” he wrote. “I send out my love, respect, and gratitude for the army of people that it took to put me back together again.”
He thanked every doctor, nurse, EMT, surgeon, and especially his nephew Alex Fries, who stayed by his side while waiting for help. He also acknowledged his neighbors, who rushed to help despite the gruesome scene, writing:
“I’m so sorry all the haunting images I imprinted on you all. (I’ll spare you from the meat grinding images).”
Renner’s Message to the World: “I Love You All”
Renner ended his post with an emotional message that resonated with fans around the globe.
“With the amount of love and prayers that flooded in from you all around the world… my family never leaving my side, some divine intervention, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of miracles… I stand strong again.”
“More open. More loved. More connected. And f***ing BLESSED to take my next step, to take MY NEXT BREATH.”
Jeremy Renner’s survival story is more than just a tale of injury and recovery. It’s a moving testament to human resilience, the power of community, and the deep appreciation for life that can emerge from profound suffering.
His memoir My Next Breath is now available and is already being hailed as a powerful, no-holds-barred account of trauma, love, and the strength to keep going—even when everything breaks.
The Information is Collected from Yahoo and Fox News.
