San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was reportedly holding and using a cell phone when he was involved in a serious car crash. Yes, the same man who spends Sundays trying to control every detail of a football game apparently had one thing he could not control: a head-on collision.
According to a public government report, Shanahan was holding and using a cell phone at the time of the accident. That detail naturally raises questions about whether he was distracted behind the wheel. Nobody needs to be reminded that driving and scrolling, texting, or doing anything on a phone is a terrible combination.
However, the report does not appear to place Shanahan at fault for the crash. The other driver, a 21-year-old woman, reportedly swerved into Shanahan’s lane. So, while Shanahan may have been using his phone, investigators apparently determined that the other driver was responsible for causing the collision.
And that is where things get a little strange.
Both drivers were reportedly wearing seat belts. Both vehicles had airbags that deployed. Yet, according to the report, Shanahan was the only person who suffered serious injuries.
That is one of those details that makes you pause and say, “Wait, what?”
The report on this website indicates that Shanahan violated Vehicle Code 23123.5(a), which says it’s illegal to hold and operate a cell phone while driving. But the website also says that Shanahan wasn’t cited for this violation, which also is odd.
Still, holding a cell phone while driving generally is a minor citation that comes with a $20 fine for first-time offenders. In California, you can get cited for holding a cell phone while driving even if you’re stopped at a red light. You don’t necessarily have to be distracted to get a ticket for this violation.
Since both parties made mistakes, it seems the police decided to punish neither driver.
For Shanahan, the crash was a painful reminder that even NFL coaches are not immune to the chaos of everyday life.
Hopefully, Shanahan makes a full recovery. And perhaps his next big decision behind the wheel will be much simpler: phone down, eyes up, and absolutely no unnecessary fourth-down decisions.
