49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Pins the Blame on Autopilot For His Horrific Accident

The autopilot on Kyle Shanahan's Tesla caused the accident on July 14.

49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Pins the Blame on Autopilot For His Horrific Accident

Kyle Shanahan (Image via IMAGO/x)

Kyle Shanahan finally disclosed the reason behind the accident that dealt him several injuries. The head coach of the San Francisco 49ers blamed the accident on the autopilot of his Tesla car.

Shanahan attended the 49ers’ practice a few days after the accident. However, he observed the session as a mere spectator.

On Saturday, Shanahan finally revealed the events leading to the accident.

I’ve had autopilot for nine years, so I’m pretty comfortable with it and, you know, who knows what happened when I turned around? Whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off? That’s something I don’t know yet. But regardless, that’s… It is always your fault.

Kyle Shanahan said

Last month, ESPN’s Nick Wagoner broke the shocking news that Shanahan had been in an accident that occurred on July 14 close to his house. The 46-year-old coach suffered a broken nose, three broken ribs, a hand, and 40 stitches on his face. He was treated at a nearby hospital.

Whether you’re [driving] on autopilot or not. You can’t take your eyes off the road. It’s a partnership driving; you don’t just turn it over to a computer, and it’s a good lesson, no matter how comfortable I am with that, that I believe someday could save my life or someone else’s, or it’s really helped me have perspective on that stuff.

Kyle Shanahan added

Per the New York Post, Shanahan owns a Black Tesla Model S. The condition of the Tesla car remains unclear, but Shanahan appears to have learned his lesson of blindly trusting AI to keep him safe on the road.

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Analyst reacted to Kyle Shanahan’s accident story

Tony Farmer, an avid 49ers fan and content creator, was among the first to hypothesize that AI in Shanahan’s car was the reason behind the accident. But very few believed him.

49ers' Kyle Shanahan Pins the Blame on Autopilot For His Horrific Accident
Kyle Shanahan (Image via IMAGO)

Farmer made his case by posting a screenshot of his article.

Weird, because I have dozens of comments from people on here the last week telling me this was not possible and I’m insane for suggesting it.

Farmer Tweeted

When ESPN first published Shanahan’s accident story, Farmer went deep-diving for evidence. He discovered that the police had taken 8 days to file the accident report. The accident happened on July 14, but the log showed the report was filed on July 22.

The police report stated that Shanahan’s car was in a head-on collision with another vehicle driven by a 21-year-old woman. The girl was noted as the main perpetrator of the accident. However, Shanahan later clarified through Wagoner that the accident happened when he “took eyes off the road briefly to find his phone.”

CHP clarified that it was a clerical mistake. CHP further added that they played no part in creating the database/log.

Shanahan spoke with his 49ers players about the dangers of not paying attention on the road. For now, the Niners are preparing for their first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans that will take place on August 13.

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