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Alijah Arenas Returns to USC Practice After Narrow Escape from Cybertruck Fire

Tesla, regulators and engineers are investigating whether a reported steering lockup caused the April collision

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Daily News boys basketball player of the year, Chatsworth High School’s Alijah Arenas Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Overview

  • On April 24 in Reseda, Arenas said his Cybertruck’s steering froze, sending him into a fire hydrant and tree before the vehicle erupted in flames
  • Trapped by smoke and heat, he unbuckled, moved to the backseat and shattered a window until bystanders pulled him out
  • He spent six days in a medically induced coma for smoke inhalation and emerged without major long-term injuries
  • Arenas has accepted full responsibility for the crash even as his father, Gilbert, suggested a malfunction may have contributed
  • After officially enrolling at USC, he stood on the practice court sideline on June 24, marking his first steps back with the team