49ers Coach Tests Tesla Autopilot by Crashing into Intelligence

KEY POINTS

•49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan crashed his Tesla Model S while using Autopilot on July 14 in Palo Alto.
•He was retrieving a phone that fell to the back seat, during which his Model S veered into oncoming traffic and hit a Mercedes-Benz SUV.
•Shanahan suffered multiple injuries and plans to be on the field by August 13, despite admitting possible driver distraction.

Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers head coach and self-declared autopilot pro of nine years, demonstrated on July 14 in Palo Alto that even an Autopilot-equipped Tesla Model S can't save you from the classic curse of dropping your phone. While attempting the modern-day feat of retrieving a phone that fell all the way to the back seat, Shanahan’s Tesla careened into oncoming traffic, clashing spectacularly with a Mercedes-Benz SUV. The result? A concussion, three broken ribs, a broken nose, a shattered hand, and more than 40 stitches. Shanahan, who admitted he might have unplugged Autopilot mid-glance, mourned his stupidity and seemed ready to return to the field by August 13, hopefully with both eyes forward this time. Tesla and the 49ers? Silent as a stalled dashboard warning light.