Shanahan also suffered a severe concussion, limiting his involvement at the start of training camp. Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster has been serving as the team's interim head coach while Shanahan recovers.
According to Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated, a publicly available government report indicates Shanahan was holding and using a cellphone while driving his black 2023 Tesla Model S at the time of the crash. The report notes that doing so violated California Vehicle Code 23123.5(a).
However, Shanahan was not cited for the alleged violation.
Cohn also reported that the other driver, a 21-year-old woman operating a blue 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, was determined to be at fault after swerving into Shanahan's lane, resulting in a head-on collision.
Both drivers were wearing seat belts, and the airbags deployed in both vehicles. According to the report, Shanahan was the only person injured in the crash.
The accident occurred on July 14, approximately six miles from Shanahan's home. The 49ers did not publicly disclose the incident until July 25—11 days later.
Shanahan has previously acknowledged occasionally using his phone while driving his Tesla. In 2018, he was asked whether he watched a Golden State Warriors game in which Stephen Curry scored 51 points and made 11 three-pointers.
"I don't watch it, but I can't lie, I'll probably get in trouble for this, but I have a Tesla, so I have some autopilot," Shanahan said. "So every once in a while, on my way to work, I skim through a couple of things."
Shanahan's longtime friend, NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, recently revealed just how close the coach came to sustaining permanent damage.
"He was this close to maybe losing his right eye," Simms said. "The scar is so big right here (Simms pointed above his eye)."
Despite the severity of the accident, Shanahan appears to be recovering well. He briefly observed the first two 49ers training camp practices—about 30 minutes on Sunday and roughly 45 minutes on Monday—and the team remains optimistic he will be healthy enough to coach the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
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