The actor opens up in detail for the first time about the January accident in an upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer.
Jeremy Renner has divulged an emotional detail about the aftermath of his life-threatening snowplow accident. On Wednesday, Good Morning America shared a new preview clip from the actor's upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer, in which he spoke candidly for the first time about the near-fatal January incident.
On New Year’s Day, Renner was crushed by a snowcat near his home in the Mt. Rose Highway area of Reno, Nevada. According to a redacted Washoe County Sheriff’s Office incident report, obtained by ET, Renner towed his nephew's vehicle after it got stuck in the snow. In the process, the snowcat began to move, and Renner tried to prevent his nephew from being hurt.
The clip begins with the harrowing 911 call, in which the caller can be heard asking for an ambulance and paramedics to come to the scene as someone has been crushed by their snowcat. In another portion of the call, it's evident how serious things are when the caller suggests air transport since the unnamed victim is "in rough shape." You can hear Renner struggling in the background.
The clip then shows the actor in present day, sitting in a wheelchair -- after suffering 30 broken bones -- opposite Sawyer. The Marvel star reflects on how the incident might have turned out had his nephew Alexander Fries and more help had not come to his rescue.
"If I was there on my own, that would have been a horrible way to die," the Hawkeye star tells Sawyer. "And surely it would have... surely."
He adds, "But I wasn't alone. It was my nephew, sweet Alex, and the rest of the calvary came."
In another one of the more emotional moments, Sawyer begins to talk about Renner's time in the hospital, as pictures of his family sitting in the waiting room appear on the screen.
Sawyer notes that during his time in the hospital, the 52-year-old began writing final words to his family.
"So I'm writing down notes on my phone," Renner says as he begins to cry. "Last words to my family." The clip ends with Renner breaking down in tears.
Last week, ABC shared the first trailer for the interview. Over the course of their conversation, Sawyer and Renner will recount the accident, the aftermath, and the actor's road to healing. Sawyer will also speak with Renner's family, including his nephew Alex, whom he credits for saving his life.
Ahead of the interview, Renner took to Instagram to share a clip with his followers, encouraged them to tune in for the whole story, and thanked them for all of the support.
"For those that want the 411 on the 911 situation that happened this past New Years morning, I spoke with the wonderful @dianesawyer to share details of the incident…. Tune in if you like 😊," he captioned the post.
"Thank you for all the positive, loving prayers for me and my family! I am so truly grateful and honestly overwhelmed with such goodness. It has taken the immediate actions of so many people that has kept me here alive. Thank you will never be enough to express my gratitude… so I can offer up some “Free Snowcat Rides” up at the house if you’re interested ?? 🤷♂️😉 🏔️."
Jeremy Renner, The Diane Sawyer Interview: A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph airs Thursday, April 6 at 10 p.m. ET.
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