Jeremy Renner shares photo from hospital after being run over by his own snowplow

Actor Jeremy Renner was run over by his own snowplow as he was moving snow near his home near Reno, Nevada.

Renner, known for his role as Hawkeye in Disney's Marvel superhero franchise, was struck Sunday morning, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said Tuesday. The incident happened while Renner was trying clear his own car, driven by a family member, from the snow.

"There was about 3 feet that we just received on top of whatever else they'd received prior to this big snowstorm, but 3 feet of fresh snow," Balaam said.

Balaam described the road Renner was clearing as a private road, not maintained by the county.

Renner used his own plow, described as a PistenBully that weighs more than 14,000 pounds, to extract the car from the snow. He went to speak to a family member when the machine began to roll, Balaam said.

"In an effort to stop the rolling PistenBully, Mr. Renner attempted to get back into the driver's seat. ... It's at this point that Mr. Renner was run over," Balaam said.

Neighbors went to assist and offer first aid as they awaited first responders. Officials received the call about at 8:50 a.m. but were not able to reach Renner for 40 more minutes because weather conditions affected traffic.

Renner was air-flighted to a nearby hospital and placed in intensive care. He underwent surgery Sunday evening for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries, his spokesman said Monday.

Renner posted what appeared to be a selfie Tuesday night from his hospital bed thanking fans for their support.

"Thank you all for your kind words," he captioned the post. "I'm too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all."

Balaam described Renner as a "great neighbor" who often cleared the roads for others after snowstorms and was a beloved member of the community.

"Throughout the community, he has been very generous," Balaam said. "And he's one of those individuals that I can tell you most of the time, you don't know that he's doing it."

Renner often posts to his social media accounts from his home near Lake Tahoe, including a video in November in which he appeared to drive a Jeep Wrangler in the snow.

"Monday morning Pre winter preparation couldn’t be more fun," he captioned the clip on Instagram.

Renner is a two-time Oscar nominee for his performances in “The Hurt Locker” and “The Town.” He is also starring in the "Mayor of Kingstown," a Paramount+ series that is scheduled to return for its second season next week.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com