Los Angeles—In the gray haze of early Thursday morning, April 24, 2025, a Tesla Cybertruck careened off a quiet street in Reseda, smashing into a tree and a fire hydrant. Behind the wheel was Alijah Arenas, an 18-year-old basketball phenom bound for USC, now fighting for his life in a medically induced coma. The crash, a violent jolt in the San Fernando Valley, has left the sports world stunned and a family pleading for prayers.
Arenas, the son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, was yanked from the mangled wreckage by onlookers as water gushed from the shattered hydrant, soaking the scene. The Cybertruck, its front end crumpled like a tin can, caught fire soon after, flames licking the dawn sky. Firefighters arrived just before 5 a.m., finding the teen already out of the vehicle but in serious condition. Paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors, citing smoke inhalation and the need to protect his brain, placed him in a coma to stabilize his condition. Initial tests showed no broken bones, a small mercy in an otherwise grim situation.
The Los Angeles Police Department, piecing together the chaos, reported the crash as a single-vehicle accident, with the Cybertruck losing control near Corbin Avenue and Blythe Street. No drugs or alcohol were involved, authorities confirmed, ruling out foul play or recklessness. The vehicle, registered to Gilbert Arenas, was towed away, only to ignite again at a tow yard hours later, prompting a hazardous materials team to swarm the site. A video captured by a neighbor, later aired by major outlets, showed the truck ablaze, water pooling around it, and Arenas lying on the wet ground, writhing in pain before being stretchered away.
Alijah, a 6-foot-6 guard from Chatsworth High School, is no ordinary teen. He’s a five-star recruit, ranked among the top 10 prospects in the class of 2025, with a silky jump shot and a 7-foot wingspan that had colleges like Kentucky and Kansas chasing him. He chose USC in January, a coup for coach Eric Musselman, who saw the kid as the cornerstone of a new era for Trojan hoops. Alijah’s high school career was a highlight reel: over 3,000 points, a City Section scoring record, and a spot in the McDonald’s All-American Game, where he dropped 11 points just weeks ago. His commitment to USC was announced on his dad’s podcast, “Gil’s Arena,” a moment of pride now overshadowed by tragedy.
Gilbert Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star known for his scoring bursts with the Washington Wizards, canceled his podcast’s Thursday episode, a silent nod to the gravity of the moment. Laura Govan, Alijah’s mother and a former reality TV figure, took to Instagram, her words raw and desperate: a call for prayers, nothing more. USC’s Musselman echoed the sentiment online, urging fans to keep Alijah, his teammates, and the Arenas family in their thoughts. The basketball community, from pros to high school coaches, has rallied, with names like Ace Bailey and Justin Pippen sending public support.
The crash site, marked by a splintered tree and yellow caution tape, sits as a stark reminder in Reseda. The Cybertruck, a futuristic beast of a vehicle, was left a twisted heap, its battery fire raising questions about the model’s safety that authorities are only beginning to probe. For now, the focus remains on Alijah, a kid with a bright future, now tethered to hospital machines. His condition is stable, police say, but the road ahead is uncertain. The Arenas family, thrust into a nightmare, waits and hopes, as a city holds its breath for one of its own.