San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was holding a cell phone when his Tesla collided head-on with a Mercedes SUV at Alma Street and Hamilton Avenue on Tuesday, July 14, according to California Highway Patrol records reviewed by Palo Alto Online.
The CHP report lists the Tesla driver's "inattention" and violation of California's handheld wireless phone law as contributing factors in the crash. As of Sunday, July 26, neither driver had been cited, according to Palo Alto police.
The report does not name Shanahan directly. It describes the Tesla driver as a 46-year-old white man in a black 2023 Tesla Model S. Both Palo Alto Online and the San Francisco Chronicle, which independently confirmed the phone use through the California Crash Reporting System, identified the description as matching Shanahan.
The CHP report found the primary cause of the collision was the other driver, a 21-year-old woman in a blue 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, making an unsafe turn from Hamilton Avenue onto northbound Alma Street into the path of Shanahan's southbound Tesla. The posted speed limit at the crash site is 25 mph.
Neither driver had been drinking. Both wore seatbelts, and airbags deployed in both vehicles.
Shanahan suffered a serious concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose, and facial injuries requiring 40 stitches, according to earlier Palo Alto Online reporting. Emergency dispatchers reported one driver was "bleeding from the head."
NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a close friend of Shanahan, told the Chronicle that Shanahan was leaving Palo Alto after a chiropractic appointment when the crash occurred around 6:12 p.m.
No citations, limited disclosure
Palo Alto police Lt. Nicolas Martinez told the Mountain View Voice on Saturday, July 25, when the crash first became public: "There is no impairment suspected and both drivers remained on scene and were cooperative with the police. No one was cited for the collision."
By Tuesday, July 28, Martinez had declined to release further details. "There will be no information released regarding the cause of the collision or who was at fault," he told the Chronicle, citing disclosure restrictions on collision reports.
Under California Vehicle Code Section 23123, using a handheld phone while driving carries a base fine of $20, though court assessments push the total to at least $162 for a first offense, according to the CHP.
Whether Shanahan or the Mercedes driver will ultimately face citations remains unclear. The investigation was still open as of July 26.
Recovery and the season ahead
The crash happened 11 days before the 49ers publicly disclosed it on Saturday, July 25, the day training camp opened. General Manager John Lynch said at a press conference that day that Shanahan remains in "concussion protocol" and has returned to the team facility on a limited basis.
"He's a tremendous head coach but this is bigger than that. It's about his well-being and we're going to take the time necessary, and I think we are well equipped to do that," Lynch said.
Assistant Head Coach Chris Foerster and team coordinators are handling head coach duties during the recovery. The 49ers open the regular season September 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. Whether Shanahan will be on the sideline remains uncertain.
