Actor Was Trying to Save Nephew from 14,000-Pound Sliding Snowcat When He Was Pulled Under and Crushed

Many actors play superheroes in their on-screen roles, but few of them embody the courage of the characters they play in their own lives.

Jeremy Renner — who played Hawkeye in “The Avengers” and other Marvel films — nearly lost his life as he attempted to keep a 👨‍👩‍👧Family member from harm during an unusually heavy snowstorm in 🏞️Nevada on New Year’s Day.

CNN obtained a redacted incident report filed Friday by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office that attributed the accident to the actor’s failure to engage the parking brake on his snowcat as he rushed to help his nephew, the outlet reported Wednesday.

Renner was seriously injured when he attempted to stop the 7-ton PistenBully from careening into his nephew, whom he was helping to help dig out of a snowbank, according to the report.

After the actor freed his nephew’s vehicle, the massive vehicle began “sliding sideways” and then “it began to roll down the hill,” he told investigators Jan. 5 while in the hospital.

Renner said he jumped out of the snowcat at that point, the report said.

“Once he was off the Pistenbully, he realized it was heading directly toward (his nephew),” the incident report said, according to CNN. “He feared the Pistenbully was going to hit (his nephew), so he decided to attempt to stop or divert the Pistenbully.”