Alijah Arenas details what went wrong in horrifying crash: ‘As if I wasn't in the car'
Alijah Arenas detailed the frightening car crash that put him in a medically induced coma during a press conference on Tuesday.
The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas and an incoming USC basketball freshman said he was heading home from shooting practice on April 24 when his Cybertruck suddenly lost control, crashing into a fire hydrant and a tree.
'I switched lanes without meaning to, and I knew something was wrong, and next thing you know, I can't get back to the left lane,' Arenas, 18, said. 'So then a car is coming towards me, and I think that I'll just pull over. So I speed up to pull over to the right in a neighborhood because there are cars parked on the street I'm on to the right. But when I'm speeding up to turn, I can't stop. The wheel wasn't responding to me as if I wasn't in the car.'
Advertisement
Chatsworth High School basketball player Alijah Arenas practices on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Los Angeles.
AP
After the crash, Arenas said he went in and out of consciousness as his vehicle burst into flames.
Eventually, two onlookers helped Arenas out of the burning car before he was rushed to the hospital.
Advertisement
'I went into panic mode, instinctively, checked my surroundings,' he said. 'I couldn't see outside the car because of all the fog.'
Despite the vehicle troubles, Arenas blamed himself for the scary incident.
Alijah Arenas, of Chatsworth High School in California, who has committed to USC next year, takes questions during the McDonald's All American Games Media Day, Monday, March 31, 2025 in New York.
AP
'Honestly, I take full responsibility for the crash, whether it was me, another car, a malfunction,' Arenas said. 'I don't want to put anyone else in this situation, the people who made the car, anything like that. I take full responsibility.'
Advertisement
Arenas was released from the hospital about a week after the accident and has since made a full recovery.
'I've been good,' Arenas said during his media availability. 'I've been really getting back into it, especially where I was to where I am now. I feel like I've gotten a lot better. And then especially seeing my teammates, it's really motivated me a lot to push forward and to keep up with the team.
'Getting out of the hospital, that was my main focus. I already thought about the team.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Moms take centerstage at NBA draft as sons appreciate all the effort they've put in
NEW YORK (AP) — It was mother's day at the NBA draft Wednesday night. The moms of the NBA draftees took centerstage, receiving hugs and wiping away tears as they heard their offspring's names called. Kelly Flagg, whose son Cooper went first to the Dallas Mavericks, was a strong player in her own right. She starred for the University of Maine in the late 1990s. The 1998-99 team she was on made school history when it won the program's first NCAA Tournament game, upsetting Stanford. Asked what she helped instill in her son, Kelly Flagg said: 'I just hoped that he loved the game as much as we always have, and we're just thrilled that he did love it and he got to this moment. It's incredible.' As far as the last time they played one-on-one, mom said the outcome wasn't a victory by her son. 'It's not a loss. It was a timeout in a game. It's just been an extended timeout,' she said. Maria Harper also got the first hug from Dylan Harper after being taken at No. 2 by San Antonio. Appropriate because she coached his first AAU team and was an assistant on his high school team. She played Division I basketball herself with New Orleans between 1993 and 1996. 'She means the world to me, coaching me from first grade to senior year,' Dylan Harper said. 'For her to see this moment, probably means the world to her. I love my mom and everything I do is definitely for her.' Maria Harper echoed Kelly Flagg's sentiments. 'His flat-out love for the game, his determination, his humility and his hard work day in and day out,' she said. VJ Edgecombe's mom was wiping at tears when they talked to ESPN. 'Bimini to the world,' Bendra Rolle said after her son went No. 3 to Philadelphia and capped the family's journey from the Bahamas to the NBA. ___ AP NBA:
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Moms take centerstage at NBA draft as sons appreciate all the effort they've put in
Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — It was mother's day at the NBA draft Wednesday night. The moms of the NBA draftees took centerstage, receiving hugs and wiping away tears as they heard their offspring's names called. Kelly Flagg, whose son Cooper went first to the Dallas Mavericks, was a strong player in her own right. She starred for the University of Maine in the late 1990s. The 1998-99 team she was on made school history when it won the program's first NCAA Tournament game, upsetting Stanford. Asked what she helped instill in her son, Kelly Flagg said: 'I just hoped that he loved the game as much as we always have, and we're just thrilled that he did love it and he got to this moment. It's incredible.' As far as the last time they played one-on-one, mom said the outcome wasn't a victory by her son. 'It's not a loss. It was a timeout in a game. It's just been an extended timeout," she said. Maria Harper also got the first hug from Dylan Harper after being taken at No. 2 by San Antonio. Appropriate because she coached his first AAU team and was an assistant on his high school team. She played Division I basketball herself with New Orleans between 1993 and 1996. 'She means the world to me, coaching me from first grade to senior year,' Dylan Harper said. 'For her to see this moment, probably means the world to her. I love my mom and everything I do is definitely for her.' Maria Harper echoed Kelly Flagg's sentiments. 'His flat-out love for the game, his determination, his humility and his hard work day in and day out,' she said. VJ Edgecombe's mom was wiping at tears when they talked to ESPN. 'Bimini to the world,' Bendra Rolle said after her son went No. 3 to Philadelphia and capped the family's journey from the Bahamas to the NBA. ___ AP NBA: recommended in this topic
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Colton Cowser of Orioles breaks up no-hit bid by Rangers' deGrom in 8th inning
Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore's Colton Cowser singled to lead off the eighth inning Wednesday night, breaking up Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom's no-hit bid. The 37-year-old deGrom had a perfect game going through six innings before walking designated hitter Sam Haggerty and left fielder Alejandro Osuna in the seventh and allowing Cowser's hard hit grounder to right field at the start of the eighth inning. DeGrom struck out seven. The two-time Cy Young Award winner threw threw 59 strikes and 89 pitches overall before being lifted after allowing his first hit. He has a 7-2 record. Texas leads 7-0. The Orioles went hitless for six innings on Tuesday night against Texas left-hander Jacob Latz before singling in the seventh. Baltimore also went hitless for seven innings against Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt on Saturday before Gary Sanchez finally singled in the eighth off reliever JT Brubaker. Texas scored once in the second inning, twice in the fourth, three times in the third and added a run in the sixth. The Rangers scored four earned runs off Baltimore starter Brandon Young and three earned runs off reliever Scott Blewett. ___ More AP baseball: recommended
