49ers' Kyle Shanahan clarifies car accident details, says crash was his fault — NBC Bay Area

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49ers' Kyle Shanahan clarifies car accident details, says crash was his fault — NBC Bay Area | AIPROPX

SANTA CLARA — Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday wanted to clear up some things.

Public records indicated that Shanahan , the 49ers’ head coach, was not at fault for the two-car collision on July 14 in Palo Alto. Shanahan revealed that the report was inaccurate.

“I was going 20 miles an hour,” Shanahan said. “I was not on my phone, but I dropped my phone, and it was stuck in my seats. It was on my lap, and it slid off, and I went down to look for it, and took my eyes off the road for two seconds, and as I was coming up, the airbags hit me in my face.”

The two vehicles, Shanahan’s black 2023 Tesla Model S and the other driver’s blue 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, collided at Alma Street and Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto.

Shanahan was heading south on Alma, while the other driver was headed northbound on Alma.

Shanahan said he was upset that the other driver, identified in the report as a 21-year-old female, was blamed for making an unsafe turn.

“I hit her,” Shanahan said. “I don’t know why it was reported that way.”

Jeremy Jones, the 49ers’ vice president of security operations, said the inaccurate version of events was the result of a clerical error that is being corrected on the California Crash Reporting System database.

“It just crushed me that the (other driver) gets blamed for it,” said Shanahan, adding that he has nothing to hide and just wanted to set the record straight.

Authorities reported that neither drugs nor alcohol had any role in the accident, which occurred at 6:14 p.m.

The other driver was not injured in the crash, Palo Alto police told ESPN.

Shanahan, meanwhile, sustained a concussion, as well as a broken nose, ribs and left hand.

The airbag deployed, which broke his nose, and he likely received the V-shaped gash near his right eye from the visor.

In a statement via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, the Palo Alto Police Department confirmed Shanahan’s recollection of events.

“Kyle Shanahan’s statement that he provided is correct and that he was found at fault for the collision,” the statement reads, via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner . “There was a clerical error in the preparation of the report that was transmitted to the State database. We are in the process of correcting that error. It is the officer’s discretion at the scene of the collision as to whether they issue a citation to either party. It is not uncommon for officers to elect to not issue a citation to either party involved in a collision. Neither party in this situation was provided preferential treatment.”

Shanahan said he did not sustain a “severe concussion,” which is a medical term that involves a loss of consciousness and amnesia.

“I did not have amnesia,” Shanahan said. “I don’t have amnesia. I remember the wreck, and I never got knocked out.”

Shanahan said he asked to remain at the scene of the accident until his wife, Mandy, arrived. He was transported to Stanford Hospital. He was in the hospital for eight to 10 hours and underwent plastic surgery.

Shanahan, 46, enters his 10th season as 49ers head coach.

While he continues to deal with the lasting effects of his concussion, he is on a limited schedule as the 49ers opened training camp over the weekend.

Assistant head coach Chris Foerster is taking on the role as the 49ers’ front ma n. Shanahan spent time on the practice field during 11-on-11 drills on Sunday and Monday.

Shanahan did not place any timetable on his return to full head-coaching duties. He continues to battle his emotions from his role in such a traumatic event, as he makes slow progress in his recovery from his head injury.

“I’m so much better,” he said. “I know I’m going to be all right.”

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This story originally appeared on NBCSportsBayArea.com .