Jeremy Renner has been seriously injured in an accident while plowing snow and is in a “critical but stable condition”, a spokesperson for the actor said on Sunday.

“We can confirm Jeremy is in critical but stable condition with injuries suffered after experiencing a weather-related accident while plowing snow earlier today,” a spokesperson for the Hawkeye star told the Hollywood Reporter late on Sunday night.

“His family is with him and he is receiving excellent care,” they added.

Deadline reported that Renner was airlifted to hospital.

TMZ reported eyewitness accounts that said Renner was plowing the road about a quarter mile from his home in Reno, Nevada so his family could get out after a snowstorm.

A neighbour said that, despite its safety features, the Sno-Cat plow ran over one of the actor’s legs.

He was said to have been losing a lot of blood from the injury and another neighbour who is a doctor put a tourniquet on his leg until paramedics arrived.

TMZ added that police arrived at the scene at 8pm to impound the Sno-Cat.

Local officials said the actor suffered a “traumatic injury” on Sunday morning and was transported to a local area hospital in a care flight.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it “responded to a traumatic injury in the area of Mt Rose Highway in Reno, Nevada” on Sunday morning at 9am. It said Renner was the only involved party in the incident, which was being investigated.

The 51-year-old actor has been nominated for two Academy Awards during his acting career, for his performances in The Hurt Locker and The Town. He has become well-known for his portrayal of the superhero Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, in Marvel films, and for his role in the Mission: Impossible film franchise.

Renner owns a ranch above Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The region was hit by a winter storm on New Year’s Eve that saw 35,000 homes lose power. Much of the US has been hit by the “blizzard of the century” over the past week, with at least 60 people having died countrywide.

Over the weekend, officials warned those who had travel plans through the Sierra Nevada of icy roads and winter weather driving conditions.

On 13 December, Renner shared a photo of snow in the area on Twitter, writing: “Lake Tahoe snowfall is no joke.”

On Instagram, he posted several clips of himself behind the wheel of a snow plow, writing on one: “Nearly done with sledding hill for the kids.”

Renner is next set to appear in the second season of Mayor of Kingstown, a Paramount+ crime drama, which is due to begin airing in two weeks.