The son of Gilbert Arenas, Alijah, is reportedly out of a medically induced coma yet remains intubated, per the family, who released its first statement after his life-threatening Cybertruck crash on Thursday in Los Angeles.
On Friday, April 25, ESPN reported that the 18-year-old son of the former NBA star woke up from his induced coma, April 25, citing the statement from the family.
The Arenas family told the outlet within the last day, Alijah had “shown significant signs of progress” and asked “did anyone get hurt?” immediately after he woke up on Friday.
On Thursday, Alijah was placed in a medically induced coma following the single-vehicle car crash, as we previously reported.
Around 4:55 a.m. on Thursday in Los Angeles, Alijah Arenas was driving his Tesla Cybertruck when the accident occurred, according to reports.
In the Arenas family’s statement was also a quote from a bystander who stated that they helped remove Alijah from Cybertruck after the crash occurred, per ESPN.
“I remember hearing banging on the car window, but I couldn’t see anything because the smoke was so thick. That’s when I realized someone was inside,” the bystander said, according to ESPN. “I tried to break the window, but it wouldn’t give. Then I saw one of the windows was cracked just enough and we used everything we had to bend it and pull him out. The car was on fire. We just knew we had to get him out.”
In showing gratitude to the bystanders for their help, the Arenas family also said in their statement that Alijah’s “incredible will to survive” has been “nothing short of miraculous,” per ESPN.
“The family continues to ask for the public’s prayers and support as their miracle baby fights his way back to a full recovery,” the Arenas family statement added.
“They remain deeply grateful for the exceptional care provided by his medical team and the overwhelming love and encouragement from the community.”