Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was seriously injured in a car crash on Thursday, but his recovery appears to be trending in the right direction.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Thursday that Arenas crashed his Cybertruck before 5:00 a.m. while driving down Corbin Ave., just past the intersection with Blythe Street in Reseda, Calif. Police believe Arenas lost control of his vehicle and crashed. The 18-year-old was transported to a local hospital and placed in a medically induced coma.
On Friday, the Arenas family issued a positive update on Alijah’s health. They said the five-star prospect is “out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours.” Alijah remains intubated but indicated that he remembered the crash and wrote on a piece of paper, “Did anyone get hurt?”
The Arenas family also thanked one of the individuals who helped get Alijah out of the vehicle when it was on fire. The person shared his or her account of the situation.
“I remember hearing banging on the car window, but I couldn’t see anything because the smoke was so thick. That’s when I realized someone was inside. I tried to break the window, but it wouldn’t give,” the person recalled. “Then I saw one of the windows was cracked just enough and we used everything we had to bend it and pull him out. The car was on fire. We just knew we had to get him out.”
Update: Alijah Arenas is now out of his induced coma and making progress in recovery while being intubated following a car crash Thursday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 25, 2025
Statement from the family: pic.twitter.com/SgzHbrPJ3c
Some photos that circulated on social media showed Arenas’ car looking extremely mangled. The front passenger side wheel of the Cybertruck had come off, some airbags were deployed and the side windows had to be broken. There was also a video from an eyewitness that provided some perspective of the frightening scene.
Arenas is a five-star prospect and already viewed as a likely NBA player. The California prep standout had announced in January his intention to play collegiately at USC. He had also landed a high-profile endorsement deal before even starting his college career.
Arenas averaged 30.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game this season for Chatsworth High School in California. His prep accomplishments led to him being named as a McDonald’s All-American, and he was heavily recruited before ultimately picking the Trojans.
