“I know I died”: ‘Avengers’ star Jeremy Renner opens up about near-fatal snowplow incident

Jeremy Renner, the MCU’s steadfast sharpshooter, finally lays bare his near-fatal snowplow ordeal in his forthcoming memoir, My Next Breath. On New Year’s Day 2023, Renner was run over by a 14,330-pound snowcat while rescuing his nephew at his Lake Tahoe home, suffering more than thirty broken bones and critical trauma to his lung, liver, shoulder, and pelvis.

The Academy Award–nominated actor spent months in intensive care and then committed himself to a grueling rehabilitation, using hyperbaric chamber therapy and strength training to claw his way back to health. Released April 29, 2025, his debut book recounts the moment his heart rate dipped to a perilous 18 beats per minute and revealed a startling insight: he sensed—and quite candidly declares—“I know I died” during the incident. 

Journalistic and unflinching, Renner’s account doesn’t just chronicle his physical wounds but captures a profound confrontation with mortality, blending candid reflection with trademark dry wit.

Renner’s harrowing snowplow crash: ‘I know I died’ answered

Jeremy Renner, best known as Clint Barton/Hawkeye in The Avengers and Disney+’s Hawkeye series, literally found himself in the crosshairs of his own machinery when a snowplow ran him over at his Tahoe home. On January 1, 2023, he jumped off the machine to save his nephew and was crushed by a 14,330-pound Pistenbully snowcat, suffering more than thirty broken bones, including fractures to his ribs, spine, and pelvis, as well as a punctured lung and lacerated liver.

Left lying on the ice for nearly forty-five minutes, hypothermia threatened to claim him before first responders airlifted him to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno for emergency surgery. Renner’s heart rate had plunged to just eighteen beats per minute—a sign EMTs warned was life-threatening—but his memoir confirms that at that instant, he felt his life flash before him and knew he had died, if only briefly.

Through a regimen of hyperbaric chamber sessions, physical therapy, and sheer willpower, Renner tamed the pain and reclaimed his body, even returning the following winter to pilot the very same snowcat, a cathartic act he describes with characteristic wry humor.

Beyond the accident: Career, comebacks, and a candid memoir

Since the accident, Renner hasn’t slowed down his Hollywood momentum. Following his recovery, he resumed acting duties, returning to the Paramount+ crime drama Mayor of Kingstown for its second season and gearing up for a role in the forthcoming third Knives Out installment.

Renner’s journey from nearly fatal injury to on-set return reflects the same tenacity that once saw him earn Academy Award nominations for The Hurt Locker and The Town. Off-camera, he’s embraced new creative outlets: in April 2025, he launched My Next Breath, a 224-page memoir published by Flatiron Books that promises unvarnished tales of pain, perseverance, and perspective gained under duress.

His production company, The Combine, inked to a PalmStar Media deal since 2015, underscores Renner’s drive to shape stories both in front of and behind the camera. The book tour has already taken him to packed venues, where he spins anecdotes with the dry wit fans cherish—a survival story laced with humor and a reminder that fame doesn’t grant immunity from life’s raw edges.

As Renner charts his next chapter, whether beneath the Hawkeye cowl, behind the camera as a producer, or on stage sharing his own story, his latest work stands as both testimony and testament: that near-death can redefine—and deepen—the narrative of a star whose best performances may still lie ahead.

Jeremy Renner’s candid chronicle of almost dying under his own snowplow incident peels back the glitter of Hollywood, revealing a raw human story of pain and perseverance. By confronting a moment when he truly thought he died, Renner transforms his trauma into testimony, reminding us how closely fame and fragility can intertwine.

Jasmine is a journalist for Primetimer

She graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from Sophia College in Mumbai, where she had the unique opportunity to publish research in social science and media.

Jasmine holds more than three years of experience including an ex-Founder's role at a digital marketing agency called 'Very Weird'. Additionally, she also had stints as a journalist at GrowMeOrganic and Scatter Content. She also worked in the Social Media Management team for beauty and wellness brands, Green Maven and Yoga House Mumbai.

Jasmine is a strict follower of ethics in journalism and stays updated with industry developments in order to improve her craft. She is committed to presenting diverse perspectives, which enriches her storytelling and enhances the relevance of her articles in today’s dynamic media landscape.