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See the full story · 6 sourcesKyle Shanahan. Credit: Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
Kyle Shanahan broke his silence on his car crash, and clarified that it was his fault
The 49ers coach suffered severe injuries including a concussion and broken ribs
Shanahan spoke out to correct a state database error that blamed the other driver for the accident
Kyle Shanahan broke his silence on his July 14 car accident , and clarified that he was at fault for the collision.
The San Francisco 49ers coach, 46, met reporters on Tuesday, July 28 to clear up facts about the two-vehicle crash that took place in Palo Alto, which left him with a severe concussion, three broken ribs, a broken nose and a broken hand, and reportedly nearly led to the loss of his right eye .
“49ers coach Kyle Shanahan just spent some time describing the events of July 14,” Nick Wagoner, an NFL reporter for ESPN who covers the San Francisco team, wrote on X after the meeting. “He wanted to clarify right up front that the accident was his fault.”
Wagoner reported that Shanahan said that “he took 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.”
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Credit: Terry Schmitt/UPI/Shutterstock
Wagoner also noted that the 49ers coach said that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) report, which said the other driver was at fault for the accident, was incorrect.
“The CHP database had a clerical error attributing accident to the girl. Shanahan says that is not accurate,” Wagoner said.
#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan just spent some time describing the events of July 14. He wanted to clarify right up front that the accident was his fault. He took 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…
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) July 28, 2026 Matt Barrows, who covers the 49ers for The Athletic, also shared his takeaways from the meeting with Shanahan on X .
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan addresses the team in the locker room during halftime of the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty
“Kyle Shanahan had a group of reporters in his office to clear up the circumstances of his July 14 car crash. One key detail that was mishandled in a state database — it was Shanahan who crossed into oncoming traffic not the 21-year old driver of the other car,” he wrote.
“Shanahan said his cell phone slid off his lap and he went to retrieve it,” continued Barrows of the 49ers coach. “As he came back up the airbag had deployed, breaking his nose. He said he remembered the crash clearly and never lost consciousness. More details to come.”
Shanahan collided with an SUV near his Northern California home in mid-July, the team announced on Saturday. The coach was taken to a local hospital following the collision, and the other driver was not injured, per ESPN.
On Monday, Shanahan’s close friend and former college teammate, Chris Simms, shared gruesome injury details about the accident when speaking on PFT Live .
“I get a text from Kyle’s wife, Mandy. She texts myself and my wife, and it’s like, ‘Oh no, Kyle’s been a part of some horrible accident,’ ” Simms told his co-host Mike Florio of Shanahan on the show. “And she sent us some pictures right off the bat, and it was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ ”
“So just to … paint the picture, you’ve seen the injury report, the broken ribs, 40 stitches in the face, the broken nose, broken left hand. Of course, the bad concussion,” he continued. “But when you first see it, and it’s fresh, and some of the cuts are still wide open, I mean, it’s jarring.”
Simms added, “He was this close to maybe losing his right eye, right? The scar is so big right here. And so, all that stuff was just crazy to see. And, of course, I was thinking of my friend, but yeah, it’s tough.”
Assistant head coach Chris Foerster, along with team coordinators, will handle head coach responsibilities while Shanahan recovers, the team said on Saturday.
“Coach Shanahan and the 49ers organization would like to sincerely thank all first responders involved for their efforts and care,” the 49ers said.
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