California police are refusing to release body-cam footage or an accident report from the aftermath of Kyle Shanahan’s recent car crash that left the San Francisco 49ers head coach with broken ribs, a broken hand and a concussion.
‘The Palo Alto Police Department will not be releasing the report or any video for the accident that occurred on the 14th,’ a department spokesperson told The Daily Mail.
Officers have informed other reporters that any records from the July 14 collision are ‘exempt from disclosure.’ Specifically, the department cited the California Public Records Act, which includes carveouts for confidentiality and privacy concerns, and a state vehicle law making accident reports confidential.
The department’s statement comes amid widespread curiosity over a weeks-old crash that wasn’t revealed until the start of training camp on Sunday. Not only did it go unreported by local media, but Bay Area police opted against charging Shanahan, who later admitted to being distracted before driving head-first into an SUV.
‘It is not uncommon for officers to elect to not issue a citation to either party involved in a collision,’ a police spokesperson told ESPN. ‘Neither party in this situation was provided preferential treatment.’
Police in Palo Alto, California are refusing to release body-cam footage or an accident report from the aftermath Kyle Shanahan’s harrowing car crash
Although he’s being temporarily replaced by assistant head coach Chris Foerster, Shanahan did address the crash with reporters on Tuesday at training camp, where he admitted to taking his eyes off the road.
‘I went down to look for it and took my eyes off the road for two seconds,’ Shanahan said. ‘And as I was coming up, the airbags hit me in my face and they broke my nose and then they said the visor really gashed me.’
The reported 20-mph wreck left Shanahan with 40 stitches, he said. Former NFL quarterback and Shanahan’s ex-University of Texas teammate Chris Simms said that the Coach nearly lost an eye in the crash.
‘He was this close to maybe losing his right eye, right?’ Simms said on PFT Live. ‘The scar is so big right here. So all that stuff was just crazy to see, and of course, I was thinking of my friend. But yeah, it’s tough.’
A clerical error in the local law enforcement’s database had attributed the crash to the female driver of the SUV, prompting Shanahan to clear it up. ‘I hit her,’ he added. ‘I don’t know why it was reported that way [on the collision report database]. The police report doesn’t say that.
‘It just crushed me hearing the girl get blamed for it. I’m just lucky that I survived, that she didn’t get hurt and that I didn’t lose my eye.’
The other driver suffered minor injuries in the crash.
The crash took place near the intersection of Alma Street and Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto
The San Francisco 49ers head coach pictured with wife Mandy before this year’s Super Bowl
As a result of his injuries, Shanahan will be limited in what he can do during 49ers training camp although he was pictured watching practice on Sunday in a major sign he’s on the road to recovery.
He added that fatigue is still one of his biggest problems, admitting he felt better on Monday but was struggling on Tuesday.
Shanahan, the son of legendary NFL head coach and two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan, has been in charge of the 49ers since 2017.
He was poached after his Falcons offense led the league in points scored and helped the team reach the Super Bowl in 2016, when Atlanta infamously let a 28–3 lead slip to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The 49ers are once again considered among the contenders to win the NFC and reach the Super Bowl this season with a star-studded roster that includes Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
