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SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A vehicle crash that seriously injured Kyle Shanahan was caused by his momentary inattention at the wheel and the other driver was not at fault, the San Francisco 49ers head coach told reporters on Tuesday.
The head-on collision between Shanahan’s 2023 Tesla Model S and a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV happened on July 14 in Palo Alto on Alma Street near Hamilton Avenue. Shanahan was briefly hospitalized after breaking his nose, two ribs, and his left hand, and suffering a concussion along with a laceration near his eye that required dozens of stitches. The Mercedes SUV driver, a 21-year-old woman, had minor injuries that did not require going to the hospital.
The 49ers announced the crash on July 25 after Shanahan failed to show up for the first day of training camp. He has since made appearances at two practices, standing alongside general manager John Lynch.
On Tuesday, Shanahan spoke to a group of reporters for the first time after the crash following published reports referencing a California traffic collision database that indicated the other driver had made an unsafe turn to cause the crash. Shanahan told the reporters he was to blame, saying his Tesla drifted into oncoming traffic after he took his eyes off the road when his cellphone slid in between the seats.
“I was not on my phone, but I dropped my phone, and it was stuck in my seats,” Shanahan said. “It was on my lap, and it slid off, and I went down to look for it, and took my eyes off the road for two seconds, and as I was coming up, the airbags hit me in my face.”
Shanahan told reporters he wanted to clear up the matter after learning the other driver was incorrectly blamed for the collision.
Police did not cite anyone for the crash and neither speed nor impairment was listed as being a factor. Palo Alto Police Department Lt. Nicholas Martinez confirmed to CBS News Bay Area that Shanahan’s account was correct and that the other driver was blamed incorrectly in the report.
“There was a clerical error in the preparation of the report that was transmitted to the State database,” Martinez said. “We are in the process of correcting that error. It is the officer’s discretion at the scene of the collision as to whether they issue a citation to either party. It is not uncommon for officers to elect to not issue a citation to either party involved in a collision. Neither party in this situation was provided preferential treatment.”
Shanahan, who said he has lingering effects from the concussion, has been unable to run the team or practice since the start of training camp. Assistant head coach Chris Foerster has taken over duties with the help of defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.
Lynch said that Shanahan is going through a similar concussion protocol that is used on players and he will return to coaching once he’s fully recovered.
Shanahan is entering his 10th season as the 49ers head coach with a 91-72 record overall, ranking third in franchise history for wins behind George Seifert (108) and Bill Walsh (102).
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