Getty Images
KEY POINTS
- Jeremy Renner used the snowplow machine after a New Year’s Eve storm
- The actor sustained blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries after the accident
- Local authorities estimated the total weight of Renner’s machine
Local authorities held their first press briefing after Jeremy Renner’s Jan. 1 snowplow accident.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office scheduled a press briefing Tuesday afternoon to address the New Year’s Day accident and shared the events that led to it. Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said Renner was helping a family member whose vehicle got stuck in three feet of snow following the storm the night before, according to People.
The “Avengers: Endgame” actor sustained injuries after the snowplow machine, called snowcat, ran over him. It left him with blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries, leading him to undergo two surgeries.
Here’s everything the public needs to know about Renner’s snowplow machine.
Jeremy Renner’s snowplow machine weighs 14,330 pounds
During the press briefing, Balaam revealed that Renner’s snowplow machine — a PistenBully or snowcat — weighs at least 14,330 pounds.
“Mr. Renner went to retrieve his PistenBully, or snowcat — an extremely large piece of snow-removal equipment weighing at least 14,330 pounds — in an effort to get his vehicle moving,” Balaam said. “After successfully towing his personal vehicle from its stuck location, Mr. Renner got out of his PistenBully to speak to his family member.”
After getting down from the vehicle, the PistenBully started to roll. Renner saw it and attempted to get back into the driver’s seat. However, the machine already ran over him.
Amid the investigation, the authorities believe the actor was not impaired at the time of the incident. They told the public that the event was a tragic accident. They also ruled out a potential foul play.
The sheriff’s department currently has his PistenBully
A few hours after the accident, TMZ confirmed the police arrived at the scene and impounded the snowcat around 8:00 p.m. The sheriff’s department currently has the PistenBully to look into it and analyze the whole machine to “rule out any potential mechanical failure of why it may have started to roll.”
Balaam said it is part of the normal process for any of their investigations.
Publications tried reaching PistenBully for a comment, but the company did not respond.
He often posted photos of his snowplow machine in the past years
Renner shared photos of the snowcat several times before the accident. In 2015, he uploaded a photo of the snowcat and wrote, “Snowcat to the rescue #deeppowder #truckstuck #monstertoy.”
He was often seen driving other snowplow machines and vehicles to clear the road during winter season.
The machine he used reportedly had safety features
An unnamed source told TMZ on the day of the accident that the machine Renner used has extensive safety features. They believe it should not have run over the actor, but it did and caused him to lose a massive amount of blood.
