49ers’ Kyle Shanahan accepts blame for car crash, says he swerved when phone fell - San Francisco Chronicle

What the report says

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he caused a July 14 crash in Palo Alto that left him seriously injured and another driver with minor injuries, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Speaking at the team facility, Shanahan said his phone slipped between the seats of his 2023 Tesla, he looked down briefly and then drifted into a northbound lane on Alma Street, where his vehicle hit a 2025 Mercedes SUV driven by a 21-year-old woman.

The Chronicle reported that Shanahan addressed the crash after earlier records and reports suggested the other driver was at fault. A statewide collision database had listed the woman as responsible, but 49ers vice president of security Jeremy Jones said police told him the entry resulted from a clerical mistake. Palo Alto police later said Shanahan’s account was accurate, that he was found at fault and that the database error was being corrected. Police also said neither driver received preferential treatment and no citation was issued.

Shanahan said he had been driving back from a chiropractic appointment in Menlo Park through a 25 mph zone and denied using the phone at the time. The Chronicle reported he sustained a concussion, a broken nose, three broken ribs, a broken left hand and a severe cut near his right eye that required 40 stitches. He said he has struggled with guilt, particularly after seeing the other driver blamed.

The crash has affected the 49ers as training camp begins. Shanahan has not resumed full-time coaching duties, with assistant head coach Chris Foerster and coordinators handling more of the work while he continues recovering from concussion symptoms.