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 not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times.
The crash occured at 4:56 am when the Cybertruck struck a fire hydrant and tree and the 18-year-old driver was taken to hospital in stable condition, according to LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes. A source told The Times drugs and alcohol are not suspected and the crash was caused by loss of control of the Cybertruck.
Arenas was placed in a coma, a person with knowledge of the crash told The Times. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report the crash and Arenas’ condition.
The Cybertruck was taken from the scene burst into flames at a tow yard. According to a source familiar with the incident, 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.
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 like Arizona, Kansas and Kentucky.
Chatsworth students had the day off from school Thursday in observance of Armenian Genocide Memorial Day.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
