Jeremy Renner has thanked fans for their "kind words" following his snow plough accident.

The 'Hawkeye' actor is currently in a critical but stable condition in hospital after suffering "blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries" when he was run over by his own Snowcat machine while helping a family member free their stuck car on New Year's Day (01.01.23) and though he is "too messed up" to reply at length, he's shared a brief update on Instagram.

Alongside a photo of his bruised face, he wrote: "Thank you all for your kind words. [Prayer emoji]. Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.(sic)"

The 51-year-old actor's spokesperson said he is "making positive progress".

The representative told TMZ: "Jeremy is making positive progress and is awake, talking and in good spirits. He remains in ICU in critical but stable condition. He is overwhelmed by the showing of love and support. The family asks for your continued thoughts while he heals with his close loved ones."

At a press conference on Tuesday (03.01.23), police said they felt what had happened was purely an accident, but they are looking into the possibility of mechanical failure.

Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said: “Based on our investigation, Mr. Renner’s personal vehicle, which was being driven by a family member, had become stuck in the snow near his home.

“Mr. Renner went to retrieve his Piston Bully, or Snowcat, an extremely large piece of snow removal equipment weighing at least 14,330 pounds in an effort to get his vehicle moving.

"After successfully towing his vehicle from its stuck location, Mr. Renner got out of his Piston Bully to speak to his family member. At this point, it was observed that the Piston Bully started to roll. In an effort to stop the rolling Piston Bully, Mr. Renner attempts to get in the driver’s seat of the Piston Bully. Based on our investigation, it is at this point that Mr. Renner is run over by the Piston Bully.

“At this point in the investigation, we do not believe Mr. Renner was impaired at all and we believe this is a tragic accident.

“We don’t suspect any foul play."

The 'Hurt Locker' star's accident happened near the actor’s home in Mount Rose-Ski Tahoe, Nevada, after it was hit by severe weather over New Year.

He reportedly suffered blood loss after the plough ran over one of his legs, with a doctor neighbour said to have created a makeshift tourniquet as they waited for an emergency team.