Tesla's ‘horrible’ joke on alleged Alijah Arenas car crash video sparks outrage

Tesla faced severe social media backlash after posting an apparent joke in the comment section of a video showing a Cybertruck crash

Updated on: Apr 25, 2025, 01:22:24 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Tesla faced severe social media backlash after posting an apparent joke in the comment section of a video showing a Cybertruck crash, possibly involving Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. The 18-year-old high school basketball player was involved in a car crash on Thursday morning and has been placed in induced coma, TMZ Sports first reported, citing sources.

Alijah Arenas (R) was involved in a Tesla Cybertruck crash on Thursday (X/LakeShowYo)

A local, Corbin Williams, posted a video of a damaged Tesla Cybertruck in the same area where Arenas reportedly crashed his vehicle. “Saw this on my way to work, looks like the Cybertruck went up on the curb through a hydrant and straight into the big tree. This is my first time seeing a Cybertruck incident,” they said in a post on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. Williams also attached the video.

However, Cybertruck's official X handle posted a ‘horrible’ joke in the comment section.

“But I have “no crumple zone” …Hope everyone’s ok,” the response read.

Social media users were quick to slam Cybertruck. “Probably shouldn’t make jokes until you know,” one person tweeted.

“genuinely what is wrong with your brain,” another one added.

“Nothing to see here, just the official Cybertruck account joking about the coma and potential death of a 5 star NBA prospect. Fantastic company,” a third person wrote.

According to high school hoops insider Tarek Fattal, Alijah was placed into an induced coma due to smoke inhalation. He did not suffer any broken bones. The 18-year-old's mother, Laura Govan, appeared to address the crash in an Instagram post. "I NEED ALL YOURE (sic) F***EN PRAYERS," she wrote.

Alijah's vehicle, reportedly mangled, struck a tree and a fire hydrant, with its front end catching fire. Emergency responders found all occupants out of the vehicle, but Alijah was hospitalized in serious condition and placed in a medically induced coma. The cause of the crash remains unclear, and it’s unknown if others were involved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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