Kyle Shanahan accepts responsibility for crash that sidelined him at start of 49ers camp

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has taken responsibility for the car crash that left him with a concussion and multiple injuries, telling reporters he briefly took his eyes off the road while trying to retrieve his cellphone before crossing into oncoming traffic.

Shanahan sets the record straight

Speaking publicly for the first time since the July 14 crash in Palo Alto, Shanahan said he wanted to clear up confusion surrounding the accident after an error in a state vehicle database incorrectly identified the other driver as being at fault.

According to Shanahan, he was driving home from a chiropractic appointment when his cellphone slipped from his lap and became lodged between the seats of his 2023 Tesla Model S.

“I was going 20 miles an hour,” Shanahan said. “I was not on my phone. But I dropped my phone and it was stuck between my seats. It was on my lap and it slid off. I went down to look for it and took my eyes off the road for two seconds.”

He said the airbags deployed as his vehicle collided with an SUV driven by a 21-year-old woman traveling in the opposite direction.

Recovery remains the priority

The crash left Shanahan with a concussion, a broken nose, broken ribs, a broken hand and a facial laceration that required about 40 stitches.

The 49ers have placed their head coach in the same concussion protocol used for players. General manager John Lynch said Shanahan is expected to return in time for the regular-season opener on Sept. 10, when San Francisco faces the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

Shanahan said fatigue has been the biggest lingering effect of the concussion but emphasized he did not lose consciousness or suffer memory loss.

“I don’t have amnesia,” Shanahan said. “I remember the wreck, and I never got knocked out.”

Team continues camp

While Shanahan has been unable to direct practices since training camp opened, he has attended portions of the first sessions alongside Lynch to observe from the sidelines.

Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster has overseen day-to-day coaching responsibilities with help from coordinators Raheem Morris, Klay Kubiak and Brant Boyer as Shanahan continues his recovery.

Police did not issue citations following the crash. Palo Alto police later confirmed Shanahan’s account, explaining that a clerical error in the report submitted to the state database incorrectly assigned fault to the other driver and that the record is being corrected.

Shanahan enters his 10th season as head coach of the 49ers, who finished 12-5 last season and reached the playoffs despite dealing with significant injuries throughout the year.