“Steering wheel went limp” — Gilbert Arenas shares details of his son's Cybertruck accident in Los Angeles

An unexpected car breakdown almost took the life of 18-year-old basketball prodigy Alijah Arenas . While driving his Tesla Cybertruck , the steering wheel malfunctioned, leading to a crash that left him surrounded by smoke. Thankfully, after a few nerve-wracking minutes, good Samaritans rescued him. Although he was in a coma for a while, Alijah is recovering quickly and is determined to be ready for his freshman basketball season at USC this fall.

Gilbert Arenas opens up about son Alijah’s terrifying Tesla crash and miraculous recoveryAlijah Arenas found himself in a nightmare. While driving his Tesla Cybertruck back from the gym on April 24, 2025, a sudden steering failure caused the truck to swerve off the road, crashing into a tree and a fire hydrant in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. The collision ignited the front of the Cybertruck, trapping Alijah inside as smoke quickly filled the cabin. He remained trapped for roughly 10 to 12 minutes until bystanders broke a window and pulled him to safety.

In a recent episode of the 'All The Smoke' podcast, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas opened up about the terrifying accident involving his son. He explained that the steering wheel of the Cybertruck "went limp," resulting in the crash. Gilbert was completely in the dark about the situation since the vehicle's GPS had failed to provide updates, and he only got the news from his daughter, Izela. When he arrived at the hospital, he was shocked to see Alijah in a medically induced coma due to heavy smoke inhalation.

Alijah went through a tough crash but somehow managed to escape with only minor injuries. After a few days in a coma, he woke up and immediately wanted to know, 'Did anyone else get hurt?' His recovery was super quick; within days, he was up and about, chatting away, and they were planning to send him home soon.
Alijah, a 6'6" shooting guard from Chatsworth High, is now the seventh-best player in the 2025 class. He just moved up from the 2026 class and chose USC over schools like Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, and Louisville. Even after the accident, Alijah and his family are hopeful about him being ready for his freshman year at USC this fall.

Also Read: Kyrie Irving reacts to Dallas Mavericks’ 1.8% draft miracle as Cooper Flagg becomes likely No. 1 pick

People are starting to question the safety and reliability of Tesla's Cybertruck after this incident, especially with the chance of malfunctions leading to accidents. As of now, there's been no official statement from Tesla about the crash.