Alijah Arenas 'doing much better' but remains hospitalized after Cybertruck crash
Four days after he was involved in a serious Cybertruck accident that led to him being put into an induced coma, top basketball prospect Alijah Arenas is walking and talking and expected to be discharged from the hospital 'very soon," according to the co-host of his father's podcast, "Gil's Arena."
Arenas, according to Josiah Johnson of the 'Gil's Arena' podcast, sustained no major injuries in the single-car accident and is 'doing much better.'
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Arenas lost control of his Tesla Cybertruck just before 5 a.m. PDT Thursday as he was returning from the gym, according to Johnson. The car struck a fire hydrant and a tree on Corbin Avenue in Reseda and caught fire with Arenas inside.
Read more: Alijah Arenas out of coma, shows 'significant signs of progress' after Cybertruck crash
The family said 'brave individuals' helped rescue Arenas from the burning vehicle. One told the family that they heard 'banging on the car window, but I couldn't see anything because the smoke was so thick.' But onlookers were able to pull him out of the car.
'This act of courage, along with Alijah's incredible will to survive, has been nothing short of miraculous,' the family said in a statement Friday.
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Arenas was deemed 'stable' at the scene, according to LAPD officer Rosario Cervantes. At the hospital, he was placed in an induced coma 'as a result of smoke inhalation,' Johnson said.
Arenas was still intubated the following day but was able to open his eyes and communicate via writing.
Chatsworth High coach Sam Harris also told The Times that Arenas was 'doing much better each day."
Arenas, a top-10 prospect nationally and the crown jewel of USC's 2025 recruiting class, is the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. Last month, Arenas led Chatsworth to the CIF state championship game. He leaves the school as the City Section's all-time leading scorer, with more than 3,000 points.
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Arenas, who has yet to officially join USC, was expected to play a significant role for the Trojans next season as a freshman.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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