Alijah Arenas, a five-star men’s basketball recruit who committed to the University of Southern California in January, was put into an induced coma after he was in a serious car crash Thursday morning, according to ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
The Los Angeles Fire Department told HuffPost that they responded to an accident at 4:55 a.m. Thursday morning after a Tesla Cybertruck had crashed into a tree, which caused a fire. The 18-year-old driver, whom the LAFD did not identify, was out of the car by the time the fire department showed up and was transported “in serious condition” to a nearby hospital.
Arenas inhaled a lot of smoke, which is what led to the induced coma, according to Sports Illustrated reporter Tarek Fattal.
Arenas did not suffer any broken bones, a source told ESPN.
The basketball player committed to USC in January, turning down offers from the University of Arizona, University of Louisville and others.
Arenas, the son of former pro basketball player Gilbert Arenas, said on his dad’s podcast that USC “felt like the best fit.”
“Seeing what USC was like, it made me feel special,” Alijah Arenas said.
