USC Basketball Recruit Top Recruit Alija Arena, the 18-year-old son of former NBA player Gilbert Arena, was hospitalized in serious condition Thursday after a fiery Tesla Cybertock crash in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley.
Los Angeles police responded to a crash in the 7900 block of Corbin Avenue around 5am Thursday. There, the cybertruck collided head-on with wood and possibly a fire hydrant, police said. The 18-year-old male victim was hospitalized in serious condition, LAFD said.
Alijah Arenas was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma, according to Shams Charania, who first reported a crash. The NBCLA has not confirmed details regarding the victim’s injuries.
It was not immediately clear why it led to the crash of a single vehicle. Law enforcement sources said the initial investigation focused on the potential for excessive speed as a source of contribution.
Photos of the scene showed a crumpled cybertruck whose front end was partially wrapped around a wooden trunk.
Records show that Tesla is registered with Gilbert Arena, and Gilbert Arena cancelled its “Gil Arena” podcast on Thursday.
Alijah Arenas is considered one of the top high school basketball outlooks in the country. McDonald’s nationals led Chatsworth High School to the CIF Division II Championship Game in March.
Classes were not sessions at Chatsworth High School, adhering to Armenia’s Genocide Anniversary.
In an Instagram post, Laura Govan, the mother of Alijah, a cast member of the VH1 show Basketball Wives, asked for a prayer.
The NBCLA reached out to representatives of Gilbert Arena.
Gilbert Arenas, 43, attended Grant High School in the Valley Glen area of Los Angeles. He started with the Golden State Warriors in 2001 and played college basketball at the University of Arizona, including a season with the Wizards, Magic and the Grizzlies before retiring in 2012.
