As phone fell, he swerved
Key Points:
- San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan took responsibility for a July 14 car crash in Palo Alto, explaining he momentarily took his eyes off the road to retrieve his phone, causing him to swerve and collide with another vehicle.
- Initial reports incorrectly blamed the 21-year-old woman driver for the collision due to a clerical error in the California Crash Reporting System, which police have since confirmed and are correcting.
- Shanahan sustained serious injuries including a broken nose, three broken ribs, a broken left hand, and a severe facial laceration requiring 40 stitches, and he is still experiencing concussion symptoms.
- The Palo Alto Police Department stated Shanahan was found at fault and did not receive preferential treatment; no citations were issued to either party involved in the crash.
- Shanahan has not resumed full coaching duties, with assistant coaches covering his role during training camp, and he expressed emotional distress over the incident and the initial misreporting of fault.