Jeremy Renner Reveals Shocking Details of Snowplow Accident, My Eyeball Was Out and 38 Bones Broken

Jeremy Renner is talking about the big things he learned after almost dying in a snowplow accident last year. The accident was so bad that he broke 38 bones and had to stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital.

Now, he’s talking about what he learned from this scary experience. He’s sharing these lessons with other people. It’s important to him because surviving such a bad accident made him realize some important things about life.

Renner is now reflecting on his experience and the valuable insights he gained during his recovery.

The Hawkeye actor shared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, May 22, that he was “tested” to his “limits” both physically and spiritually due to the January 2023 snowplow accident.

Renner explained that he had to focus on staying alive during the 45 minutes he was lying on the ice after the accident.

I had to exhale with all my might so I could suck air back in, recalled Renner, 53. I didn’t know I had a popped lung and all this other stuff going on. But I just had to breathe. If I didn’t breathe, then I would have been gone.

The actor also mentioned that he had broken 38 bones in the New Year’s Day accident. When host Jimmy Fallon asked him how much of his body was “titanium right now,” Renner said that quite a few parts were.

This is metal, he said, touching his left shin. Half my face is metal. All the right side of my back is metal.

The Avengers star explained that he had been clearing snow and towing a truck with the snowplow accident before it “got out of my hands.” The machine then started moving toward his nephew, so Renner tried to jump back on it to stop it. This attempt led to the severe injuries he sustained.

Renner explained to Fallon, 49, that he was still conscious during the snowplow accident and described what was going through his mind immediately afterward.

It’s like, you see your eye with your other eye because my eyeball was out. So you have weird thoughts like, ‘Well, I guess that’s real, but I’ll worry about that later,’ he said.

The Hurt Locker actor added, I looked at my legs, and they were all twisted up. But I thought, ‘I’ll worry about that later because I have to focus on breathing first.

Renner shared with Fallon that this lesson stood out as one of the most crucial takeaways from his ordeal.

It’s a powerful reminder of what really matters in life,” he reflected. “When faced with overwhelming stress or challenges, it’s about taking it one step at a time. Just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

Renner has been getting better after his injury. He talked about how he’s getting better on social media even talked to CNN in October 2023. Moreover, he said he felt very lucky and blessed to be able to walk and live life after more than nine months since the incident.

He said, “I’m very clear. My life is really lean, if that makes sense. There’s no fat in my life anymore. I don’t have time for that. So there’s something really beautiful about having that superpower.”

This means he feels his life is simple and focused now. He doesn’t have time for unnecessary things anymore. He thinks it’s great to have this kind of power in his life.