Hollywood actor Jeremy Renner has shared the shocking moment he nearly lost his life earlier this year when he was run over by a snow plow.
The actor, 52, opened up about the accident in a new ABC documentary about what happened at his US home on New Year's Day this year.
Whilst helping his nephew Alexander Fries to free another vehicle trapped by heavy snow, Renner was run over by his own six-tonne snowploughing machine and nearly crushed to death.
The actor suffered significant injuries including over 30 broken bones and huge trauma to his chest and legs. After being airlifted to hospital in Reno, Nevada, the actor was found to have 14 broken ribs, a broken right knee, ankle and right shoulder, a collapsed lung and a pierced liver from the accident.
Speaking to journalist Diane Sawyer in the ABC special, Renner showed how the accident happened with animation as he explained how he and his nephew were attempting to clear the road outside the house so the family could go skiing.
As his nephew was trying to move a pickup truck in their path, Renner operated a snow plow. Whilst getting the pickup truck unstuck was successful, Renner lost sight of his nephew and was concerned he would be hit by the snow plow.
An animation shows Renner leaning out of the cab of the snow plow, before he then fell and was pulled underneath the tyres.
Describing the accident, Renner said: "That's when I screamed, when I went under the thing - 'not today, motherf*****.'
"I was on asphalt and ice. It feels like you imagine it. I could see my eye from my other eye. I was seeing stars."
In another clip, Renner remembers the pain and horror of the freak accident as he said: "Oh yeah, I was awake through every moment.
"It’s exactly like you imagined it would feel … It’s hard to imagine what that feels like… It felt like someone took the wind out of you.
"Too many things are going on (in) the body to feel. Pain is everything – it’s like if your soul could feel pain."
Recalling his thoughts at the time of the incident he added: "I said, ‘Oh, that (leg), that one’s really messed up… that leg’s (going to) be a problem.
"(I’m thinking) ‘What’s my body (going to) look like? Am I just gonna be like a spine and a brain like a science experiment?"
The documentary also revealed that Renner's recovery including physical therpay to help him walk again after the serious injuries to his right leg, knee and ankle.
Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph is available on ABC.
