The 49ers' successful effort to keep the Kyle Shanahan car accident under wraps until the day the team reported to training camp served only to make people wonder why it was so important to treat the situation with extreme secrecy. Which has caused some to wonder whether there's more to the story.
Here's something more to the story, as found by Grant Cohn of SI.com.
Citing and linking to a public, governmental website, Cohn reports that Shanahan was holding and using a cellphone at the time of the accident.
Via Cohn, the website indicates that Shanahan was in violation of California Vehicle Code 23123.5(a), which prohibits holding and operating a cell phone while driving. Shanahan was not cited, however.
The other driver, per Cohn, was deemed to be at fault because she swerved into Shanahan's lane and caused a head-on collision. Airbags in both cars were deployed.
The initial ESPN report, posted minutes after the 49ers presumably authorized the release of the information, indicates that the other driver suffered no injuries. Shanahan, in contrast, sustained a broken nose, a broken hand, broken ribs, and a...