USC Trojans' Alijah Arenas Reveals Details From Scary Car Accident

USC Trojans freshman Alijah Arenas spoke to the media for the first time since officially becoming a Trojan, and he was joined USC men's basketball coach Eric Musselman at the press conference. For the first time since his scary car accident in April, Arenas revealed some of the details of what happened that morning and what led to the crash.

"I switched lanes without meaning to, and I knew something was wrong, and next thing you know, I can't get back to the left lane. So then a car is coming towards me, and I think that I'll just pull over," said Arenas. "So I speed up to pull over to the right in a neighborhood because there are cars parked on the street I'm on to the right. But when I'm speeding up to turn, I can't stop. The wheel wasn't responding to me as if I wasn't in the car."

"Honestly, I take full responsibility for the crash, whether it was me, another car, a malfunction. I don't want to put anyone else in this situation, the people who made the car, anything like that. I take full responsibility," Arenas continued.

Apr 1, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; McDonald's All American West guard Alijah Arenas (16) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game McDonald's All American East at Barclays Center. | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

After the accident, Arenas was placed into an induced coma due to smoke inhalation. He was transported to the hospital in serious condition, and he was released less than one week after the accident.

“While his journey to full recovery is just beginning, his spirit remains strong, and he is surrounded by love and support,” Arenas’ family said at the time.

Musselman visited Arenas while he was in the hospital, and reporters asked the USC coach about his experience and perspective during Arenas' recovery.

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"The day that I was in the hospital with him, he was kind of in and out, but the love that his family had and the care. You know, his perspective is really unique. Even before the accident, to be honest with you. When you talk to Alijah, it's a it's a unique thought process on how he views life, how he views the game of basketball, and how he views his teammates," said Musselman.

Feb 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Galen Center | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC freshman attended the Trojans' summer practice as he is officially enrolled at the school, but he did not practice with the team. At the press conference, Musselman explained that Arenas will be part of team practices once his academics are cleared. Arenas also told reporters that even though he is not able to practice, he is still working out every morning and getting to know his teammates off of the court.

As a recruit, Arenas was a five-star prospect. According to 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Arenas was the No. 1 shooting guard recruit, the No. 1 California recruit, and the No. 7 overall prospect in the class of 2025. Arenas joins a USC roster that is welcoming a number of new faces, like transfer guard Chad Baker-Mazara and shooting guard Rodney Rice.