USC recruit Alijah Arenas, son of Gilbert Arenas, in coma after Cybertruck crash

Alijah Arenas, the Chatsworth High star and crown jewel of USC’s incoming recruiting class, was involved in a serious Cybertruck accident on Thursday morning, a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times. Arenas was in a Tesla Cybertruck early Thursday morning when the vehicle lost control near the corner of Corbin Avenue and Blythe Street in Reseda. The crash occurred at 4:56 a.m., when the Cybertruck struck a fire hydrant and tree. The 18-year-old driver was pulled from the wreckage and taken to a hospital where he was stable, according to LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes. A source told The Times that drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash. A video of the early-morning, post-crash scene, obtained by TMZ, shows the sheared-off fire hydrant showering the wrecked Cybertruck with water as onlookers worked to rescue the driver. Later in the video, Arenas is seen trying to get up after lying face down in the street in a few inches of water while the hydrant continued to spray. In the background, a person shouts at Arenas repeatedly to “wake up.” Photos of the crash site obtained by The Times show the silver Cybertruck wrapped around a tree hours later, with a “no parking” sign crumpled between the two. The windshield and both driver’s side windows were shattered and a piece of hydrant was lodged underneath the broken wheel well. Hours after the crash, the Cybertruck was taken from the scene and burst into flames at a tow yard. According to a source, the Los Angeles Fire Hazard Mat responded to the ensuing hazardous materials incident. Alijah is the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, who canceled plans to stream a new episode of his online show Thursday. His mother, Laura Govan, posted on Instagram shortly after asking for “all your … prayers.” A top-10 recruit in the 2025 class, Alijah Arenas led Chatsworth High to the CIF Division II state championship game in March. He left Chatsworth as the all-time City Section scoring leader, with more than 3,000 points, and recently competed in the McDonald’s All-American game. Arenas was slated to play a major role as a freshman at USC after choosing the Trojans over more established basketball powers such as Arizona, Kansas and Kentucky. USC coach Eric Musselman, in a statement on social media, said that “our thoughts and prayers are with Alijah and his family following this morning’s accident. Please keep him, his teammates and friends, and the entire Arenas family in your prayers.” Chatsworth students had the day off from school Thursday in observance of Armenian Genocide Memorial Day.