Shanahan's Crash: Responsibility and Injuries
Kyle Shanahan Takes Responsibility For July Crash, Details Severe Injuries And Recovery.
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Key Points
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The crash involved airbag deployment and a visor clipped by a metal garage door opener, which cut above Shanahan's right eye and contributed to his facial injuries requiring more than 40 stitches.
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The other driver in the crash was a 21-year-old and was not injured.
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California Highway Patrol initially attributed fault to the other driver due to a clerical error in the database, a detail Shanahan later corrected, noting he crossed into oncoming traffic while looking for his phone.
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Friend and NFL insider Chris Simms described the injuries as 'scary' and said Shanahan was 'this close' to losing his right eye, highlighting how severe the damage could have been.
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With Shanahan sidelined, assistant head coach Chris Foerster took on head coaching duties to start training camp, signaling the immediate leadership transition as the team adjusts to the coach's absence.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan took full responsibility on July 28 for a July 14 car crash in Palo Alto that left him with a broken nose, three broken ribs, a broken left hand, a severe concussion, and more than 40 stitches on his face. He told reporters he dropped his phone, it slid between the seats, and he took his eyes off the road to look for it — sending his car across the center line into oncoming traffic at about 20 mph. AJC and The Score both confirmed Shanahan's admission.
California Highway Patrol records had initially blamed the other driver — a 21-year-old woman — for the crash. Shanahan called that a clerical error. He said he was the one who crossed into her lane. The woman was not injured. Drugs and alcohol were not involved, SFist reported.
Phone Slid Between Seats, Triggering the Crash
Shanahan said he was driving roughly 20 mph when his phone fell off his lap and slipped between the seats. He looked down to find it. In about two seconds, his car drifted across the double-yellow center line. "I took my eyes off the road looking for my phone, and my car veered into someone," Shanahan said, according to Total Pro Sports. "When I hit her, I'll never forget how violent the impact was."
Airbags deployed on impact. A metal garage door opener clipped to his visor flew forward and sliced above his right eye, requiring over 40 stitches. He suffered a broken nose, three broken ribs, and a broken left hand. He was taken by ambulance to Stanford Hospital. He did not lose consciousness, Head Topics reported.
CHP Database Listed Wrong Driver as Fault
When CHP records became public on July 28, they showed the 21-year-old woman as the at-fault driver. The database also flagged Shanahan for holding and using a cell phone, a potential violation of California law. That combination created confusion about what really happened. Shanahan moved quickly to clear it up, calling the fault entry a clerical error, SFist reported.
Shanahan clarified that his phone was on his lap — not in his hand — when it fell. The distraction came from reaching for it, not from actively using it. He said the other driver did nothing wrong. She was not cited and did not require hospital care.
49ers Kept the Crash Quiet for 11 Days
The crash happened July 14. The 49ers said nothing publicly until July 25 — 11 days later — when training camp opened. ESPN's Adam Schefter and Nick Wagoner broke the full list of injuries. The delay triggered sharp criticism from national media. AJC noted the team cited family privacy during Shanahan's initial recovery as the reason for staying silent.
NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a close friend of Shanahan's, said Shanahan's wife Mandy sent him photos of the injuries during those early days. Simms described them as "scary" and said Shanahan was "this close" to losing his right eye. "It hit him hard," Simms said. "He realized how close it was to being just a complete, utter disaster."
Foerster Runs Camp While Shanahan Recovers from Concussion
With Shanahan sidelined, assistant head coach Chris Foerster stepped in as the lead voice at training camp. Foerster has 34 NFL seasons of coaching experience. He said the staff would divide duties by unit rather than run everything through one person. "Instead of me running every team meeting, we'll split up on offense and defense," Foerster said, per Total Pro Sports.
Shanahan is attending camp in a limited role, watching practice alongside GM John Lynch. Loud noises — including the music played at practice — still bother him as part of his concussion recovery. The 49ers open their season September 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. Team doctors said they are optimistic Shanahan will be cleared to coach by then, according to The Score.
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