Jeremy Renner says near-fatal snowplow accident was ‘my mistake’

Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner says he was at fault in the New Year’s snowmobile accident that left him near death and he apologized to his family for putting them through the ordeal.

Renner, in an interview that aired on Walt Disney Co.’s ABC network Thursday, said he was driving the plow after using it to pull one of the family’s trucks out of the snow and onto the sidewalk.

When the plow started skidding through the ice, Renner said he worried for the safety of his nephew, Alex, who had just let go of the chain connecting the truck and the plow. Renner stuck one foot out of the plow to look back at Alex and didn’t set the parking brake.

The actor then lost his leg and fell from the plow cab.

“You don’t have to get out of the vehicle when you’re in surgery, you know what I mean? It’s like driving a car with one foot out of the car,” Renner, sitting in a wheelchair, told ABC News reporter Diane Sawyer.

“But it is what it is,” he added. “And it was my fault, and I paid for it.”

Renner, then worried that the snowplow would roll again and crush his nephew, said he tried to jump back into the vehicle to stop it. He stepped on the track of the moving wheel of the plow, which threw him forward, and the vehicle ran over him, broke more than 30 bones, collapsed lungs and punctured the heart.

Neighbors are caring for the 52-year-old actor, who is best known for playing Marvel superhero Hawkeye in the film. Avengers film, said they found a man with blood all around him, shallow breathing and a crack in the skull.

When he woke up in the hospital, Renner said, he gestured to his family with a sign language gesture that meant “I’m sorry.”

“It’s my responsibility,” Renner said. “I feel bad that my actions caused so much pain.”

Hours of therapy

Doctors used titanium rods and screws to repair broken ribs and also placed metal in his legs and in his face to make eye sockets.

The actor is shown walking with the help of a walker. He is still undergoing daily therapy for his injuries.

Renner was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his work in the 2008 film The Hurt Locker and for best supporting actor for his work in the 2010 film City.

She is scheduled to return to Hollywood on Tuesday at a red carpet event for the TV series Reinnervationswhich helps to repurpose old vehicles such as buses and provide them to the community in need.

Renner credits the support of his family with helping him survive the snow accident.

“I’ve been recharged and filled with love and titanium,” he said with a laugh.