SANTA CLARA — Kyle Shanahan has been forced to prioritize the importance of his duties as head coach of the 49ers over the past two weeks.On Saturday, he added the most public part of the job to his routine. He met with the media following the 49ers’ practice at training camp.
Shanahan said he feels as if he is nearly all the way back from a concussion he sustained in a two-car accident July 14 in Palo Alto.
He accepted responsibility for the accident, as his car veered into oncoming traffic when he reached back to retrieve his cell phone. Palo Alto police did not issue any citations, and the driver of the other vehicle was not injured.
Shanahan said taking his eyes completely off the road is something that he normally would not do.
“I’ve had auto pilot for nine years, and I’m pretty comfortable with it,” said Shanahan, who was driving a Tesla Model S.
“Who knows what happened when I turned around, whether it malfunctioned or I knocked it (auto pilot) off. That’s something I don’t know, yet. But, regardless, it’s always your fault.”