49ers HC Kyle Shanahan takes accountability for the accident on July 14

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 21: Head coach of the Wildcats FFC, Kyle Shanahan looks on before the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images for OBB Media - FANATICS STUDIOS) | Getty Images for OBB Media - FAN

Initial reports about San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan claimed he was not at fault for the car crash that occurred on July 14.

According to the California Crash Reporting System database — Case ID 5249308 — Shanahan was allegedly holding and using his cell phone prior to the crash. Still, Shanahan was not considered at fault. It was determined that the 21-year-old woman driving made an unsafe turn, which resulted in the crash. Both airbags were deployed.

The state of California prohibits holding and operating a cell phone while driving, according to Vehicle Code 23123.5(a) , but Shanahan was not cited.

Chris Simms said he received pictures from Kyle’s wife, Mandy. Simms said, “He was this close to maybe losing his right eye. The scar is so big right here. And he’s still battling with this concussion. He’s healing. His face looks a whole lot better, but this concussion, of course, being part of that kind of accident, is lingering, and it’s giving him issues.”

“I don’t think he’d have any problem with me sharing this. It hit him hard, right? He was emotional about it, because he realized how close it was to being just a complete, you know, utter disaster. Like, really, it was a disaster anyways. But, you know, when you’re that part of that accident, like I said, he could have lost his right eye. It could have been a lot worse. You know, he’s very concerned about the woman he got in the accident with and how she is and handling that situation. So there’s just a lot there. And I think it was a lot for him to process . . . at first as well. And then, of course, with it being, you know, a few days before you’ve got to start going to the office and worrying about football and everything else on top of it, where your break’s ending and you’re dealing with that as well, yeah, it was tough for him. It’s tough for their family. Their kids were in shock, and, you know, you just realize how fragile life can be, and how it can all change in just one split second. And thank God he’s okay. But, yeah, he’s gonna have to deal with this and, you know, hopefully get his mind cleared up here over the next few weeks.”

Speaking of PFT, Mike Florio continues to focus on why this story didn’t come out sooner and why Bay Area media isn’t going down a rabbit hole to find out information about the case, as opposed to Shanahan’s health.

He wasn’t at fault in a serious, traumatizing accident. We are not entitled to every detail that happens with the 49ers or Shanahan. It does not matter when we get this information. The only reason we can access details about the car accident is through Shanahan’s friend, Simms, or public records. That’s more than enough.

The official language for cell phone use: “A violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a base fine of twenty dollars ($20) for a first offense and fifty dollars ($50) for each subsequent offense.

Let’s not pretend to act all high and mighty because Shanahan had his phone in his hand. It’s something everyone does, and you can see it if you look to your right or left when you’re driving. If the state of California felt like it was a serious offense, the penalties would be much more severe. That’s not to excuse using the phone, but the potential fines speak for themselves.

Kyle’s update, 12:33 p.m. PT: Kyle Shanahan met with a few media members to clarify details from the accident. According to the Bay Area media, Shanahan took his eyes off the road briefly to find his phone, which fell between seats, and when he looked up, he had gone over the line and into an SUV.

Shanahan said the accident was his fault and the CHP database had a clerical error attributing the accident to the woman driver. Shanahan said that is not accurate.