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Kyle Shanahan in January 2026
Credit: Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Kyle Shanahan said he thought he was using autopilot at the time of his July 14 car accident while sharing more details from the crash
- “Anytime you cause an accident that can be avoided, you feel pretty stupid,” the 49ers coach told reporters on Saturday, Aug. 8
- He also shared a health update in the wake of the crash, which left him with a concussion, broken bones and more
Kyle Shanahan says he thought he was using autopilot at the time of his car accident last month, which left him with several injuries — and admits they could have been “avoided.”
The San Francisco 49ers head coach, 46, previously clarified that he was at fault for the July 14 collision — a two-vehicle accident in Palo Alto, Calif., that left him with a severe concussion and several broken ribs, among other injuries. Now, he’s sharing more details about what led to the crash.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Aug. 8, Shanahan said he thought he was using his Tesla Model S’s autopilot feature when his cell phone fell, and he took his eyes off the road to reach down and find it, per ESPN and The Athletic.
“Anytime you cause an accident that can be avoided, you feel pretty stupid, especially when you have a chance to hurt someone else,” the 49ers coach told reporters. “Who knows what happened when I turned around, whether [autopilot] malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off, I don’t know yet.”
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Kyle Shanahan in May 2026
Credit: Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty
“But regardless, it’s always your fault,” he said of the collision. “Whether you’re on autopilot or not, you can’t take your eyes off the road. It’s a partnership, driving, you don’t just turn it over to a computer.”
Shanahan also noted that he is “pretty comfortable” using autopilot, which he has used in various forms for nine years, per ESPN.
The 49ers coach’s Tesla collided with a 21-year-old female driver in an SUV near his Northern California home on July 14. The crash left him with a severe concussion, three broken ribs, a broken nose and a broken hand. The incident also nearly led to to the loss of his right eye, according to reports. The other driver was not injured.
Shanahan also provided an update on his recovery Saturday, stating his ribs are better, though they hurt when he sneezes, per ESPN.
The 49ers coach also told the press his concussion symptoms have slowed, and said the effects of the brain injury have changed how he looks at head injuries his players suffer.
“My head feels so much better,” the coach told reporters, per ESPN. “Concussions do linger a little bit. All the things I really deal with now is just headaches and fatigue, but that’s why I’m not always exactly in the same routine, but pretty damn close.”
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Kyle Shanahan in January 2026
Credit: Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty
“I’ve been told so much by these guys, ‘Don’t compare sports concussion to an accident like this.’ I’m starting to realize that now. ... Each one’s a little bit different,” he explained Saturday. “And I definitely can relate to how scary it is if you don’t know if you will feel right again. But it’s definitely made me more educated on it.”
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As for his coaching duties, Shanahan said he’s close to a full return and plans to coach the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, Aug. 13.
“I try not to come in here every single day because I feel like, if I did, I wouldn’t be able to pull off my normal routine, which is watching hours and hours of tape and getting to walk through the night being able to watch stuff after that,” the coach said, adding, “Eventually, I will get there.”
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