— San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan took the blame for the car crash that left him with a concussion and other injuries, saying he took his eyes off the road to reach for his fallen cell phone before hitting another vehicle.
Shanahan crashed into a 21-year-old woman driving in the other direction in Palo Alto on July 14 and was left with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and broken left hand and stitches for a large cut above his right eye. Shanahan was briefly hospitalized following the crash and hasn’t been able to coach the team at the start of training camp. The other driver suffered minor injuries and did not need to be hospitalized.
Shanahan spoke to a small group of reporters on Tuesday for the first time since the crash to explain what happened from his vantage point and to make clear the crash was his fault.
“I was going 20 miles an hour,” Shanahan said. “I was not on my phone, but I dropped my phone, and it was stuck in my seats. 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 air bags hit me in my face.”
Police filed no charges in the crash.
Palo Alto police Lt. Nicholas Martinez confirmed Shanahan’s version of the crash was correct and that a mistake in a report transmitted to a state database incorrectly blamed the crash on the other driver.
“I can confirm that Kyle Shanahan’s statement that he provided is correct and that he was found at fault for the collision,” Martinez said in a statement Tuesday. “There was a clerical error in the preparation of the report that was transmitted to the state database. 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 has been unable to run the team or practice since training camp started on Saturday with assistant Chris Foerster in charge with assistance from coordinators Raheem Morris, Klay Kubiak and Brant Boyer.
Shanahan has come out for portions of the first two practices to watch alongside general manager John Lynch. He said he is not bothered by the sunlight but loud noises like the music at practice are still an issue.
Shanahan said he has made considerable progress and expects to make a full recovery. The 49ers have said that Shanahan is going through a similar protocol to the one used for players after a concussion and will resume coaching when he is recovered.
Shanahan is entering his 10th season as 49ers coach and is one of the most highly regarded coaches in the game for his offensive acumen. San Francisco has made two trips to the Super Bowl under his watch following the 2019 and 2023 seasons and made two additional appearances in the NFC title game in the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
Shanahan has a 91-72 record in the regular season and playoffs for the 49ers, ranking third in franchise history in wins behind George Seifert (108) and Bill Walsh (102).
The team overcame significant injuries last season to finish 12-5 in the regular season and win a playoff game as Shanahan finished fifth in voting for the AP NFL Coach of the Year.
