{"id":2452666,"date":"2025-06-26T20:19:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T00:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ev-driver-awoke-to-find-dashboard-in-flames-dread-turns-to-horror-when-the-cars-app-refuses-to-let-him-exit\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T20:22:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T00:22:18","slug":"ev-driver-awoke-to-find-dashboard-in-flames-dread-turns-to-horror-when-the-cars-app-refuses-to-let-him-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ev-driver-awoke-to-find-dashboard-in-flames-dread-turns-to-horror-when-the-cars-app-refuses-to-let-him-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"EV Driver Awoke to Find Dashboard in Flames, Dread Turns to Horror When the Car&#8217;s App Refuses to Let Him Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">42<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fev-driver-awoke-to-find-dashboard-in-flames-dread-turns-to-horror-when-the-cars-app-refuses-to-let-him-exit%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2452666&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, was involved in a harrowing car accident while driving a Tesla Cybertruck. Last April, the vehicle crashed into a tree due to a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >malfunctioning steering wheel<\/a>, which caused him to lose control.Following the crash, Arenas found himself disoriented as the passenger-side dashboard filled with smoke. His digital key malfunctioned, trapping him in the burning vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Desperate to escape, he jumped to the back seat, using a water bottle to cool himself while attempting to break the passenger window. After ten agonizing minutes,he managed to break the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/matt-dibenedetto-wins-nascar-world-truck-series-race-at-talladega\/\" title=\"Matt Dibenedetto Wins Nascar World Truck Series Race at Talladega\">driver-side window<\/a> and fell into a nearby pool of water created by a fire hydrant. he spent six days hospitalized, including some time in an induced coma, but fortunately, he did not sustain serious injuries.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/horrific-crime-up-to-12-arrested-for-raping-girl-14-attackers-tied-to-somalia-north-africa\/\" title=\"Shocking Incident: 12 Arrested for Assaulting 14-Year-Old Girl - Suspects Linked to Somalia and North Africa\">incident highlights concerns<\/a> regarding the safety of electric vehicles (EVs), especially in emergency situations, as EV fires can be more difficult to extinguish and pose risks to both drivers and responders. While Arenas is recovering, he has expressed trepidation about driving EVs in the future.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>An electric vehicle nearly proved to be an actual death trap for one collegiate basketball recruit.<\/p>\n<p>Alijah Arenas &mdash; son of former NBA star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/five-star-basketball-prospect-son-ex-nba-star-coma-horrific-accident-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gilbert Arenas<\/a> &mdash; found himself in panic mode last April after his Tesla Cybertruck smashed into a tree.<\/p>\n<p>After being disoriented temporarily in the crash, Arenas awoke to find a nightmare scenario, according to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/story\/_\/id\/45583696\/alijah-arenas-crash-fighting-escape-burning-truck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Fire filled the passenger-side dashboard. He tried to use his digital key to unlock the doors, but the app locked him out.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I tried to open the door, and the door wasn&rsquo;t opening,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Arenas was stuck inside a burning vehicle, facing the serious prospect of death.<\/p>\n<p>He jumped in the back seat, pouring the contents of a water bottle on himself to stay cool as he tried to break out the passenger window.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I was fighting time,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>He spent an excruciating 10 minutes in the Cybertruck before he was finally able to break the driver-side window.<\/p>\n<p>He fell into a pool of water that had been created from a nearby fire hydrant.<\/p>\n<p>Arenas spent six days in the hospital, part of that time in an induced coma, but thankfully did not sustain any <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">serious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/yankees-player-rushed-hospital-ambulance-suffering-gruesome-injury-home-plate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">injuries<\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/yankees-player-rushed-hospital-ambulance-suffering-gruesome-injury-home-plate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">.<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Alijah Arenas is speaking out publicly for the first time about his serious car crash.<\/p>\n<p>Details HERE: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ztTIsmtnK5\">https:\/\/t.co\/ztTIsmtnK5<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yMtm0jBgUj\">pic.twitter.com\/yMtm0jBgUj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; TMZ (@TMZ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TMZ\/status\/1937994426212602080?\">June 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2025\/06\/25\/alijah-arenas-talks-cybertruck-crash-usc\/?adid=social-tw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TMZ said<\/a>&nbsp;Arenas talked about the accident at a Tuesday news conference.<\/p>\n<p>The 18-year-old indicated that the accident happened when the steering wheel stopped responding normally.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The wheel wasn&rsquo;t moving as easy as it should, and me noticing the keypad wasn&rsquo;t on, it was kinda just like weirding me out,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I switched lanes without meaning to &hellip; so I thought about, wait, something is wrong. Next thing you know, I can&rsquo;t get back to the left lane.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Moments later, he hit the tree.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Good Samaritans in the neighborhood pulled Arenas from the car &hellip; and he said he met them personally to thank them for saving his life,&rdquo; TMZ reported.<\/p>\n<p>Add this disaster to the list of problems with EVs.<\/p>\n<p>Safety is paramount for drivers, but these vehicles have also given problems to emergency responders.<\/p>\n<p>EV lithium-ion batteries burn longer when fires start, producing toxic fumes and requiring more water to extinguish.<\/p>\n<p>This posed unique problems during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/electric-vehicles-create-hazardous-situation-la-fire-cleanup-delay-homeowners-return-properties\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January&rsquo;s wildfires<\/a> in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n<p>The cargo ship <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/potential-ecological-disaster-assessed-ship-laden-evs-sinks-3-miles-deep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Morning Midas<\/a> encountered similar problems when a fire started on board earlier this month. The ship sank this week, carrying its cargo of more than 3,000 vehicles, including 70 EVs and 681 hybrids, to the ocean floor.<\/p>\n<p>Automobiles are hazardous enough with the distractions brought on by smartphone use and the dangers of dealing with intoxicated and reckless drivers.<\/p>\n<p>EVs are just adding another level of danger.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, Arenas is OK, but he will probably think twice before getting behind the wheel of an EV again.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An electric vehicle almost turned into a deadly situation for collegiate basketball recruit Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. Last April, his Tesla Cybertruck collided with a tree, leaving him disoriented. When he regained consciousness, he discovered flames engulfing the passenger-side dashboard. Despite trying to unlock the doors with his digital key, he was locked out and struggled to escape. &#8220;I tried to open the door, and it wouldn&#8217;t budge,&#8221; he recounted. <\/p>\n<p>Trapped in a burning vehicle and facing imminent danger, Arenas moved to the back seat and doused himself with water from a bottle while attempting to break the passenger window. He described it as &#8220;a race against time.&#8221; After enduring ten agonizing minutes inside the Cybertruck, he finally managed to shatter the driver-side window and fell into water from a nearby fire hydrant. He spent six days in hospital care-some of which were in an induced coma-but fortunately did not suffer any severe injuries.<\/p>\n<p>In his first public comments about this serious accident during a news conference on Tuesday, 18-year-old Arenas explained that it occurred when his steering wheel became unresponsive: &#8220;The wheel wasn&#8217;t moving as easily as it should have&#8230; I switched lanes unintentionally&#8230; then I hit the tree.&#8221; Good Samaritans rescued him from the car; he later met them personally to express his gratitude for saving his life.<\/p>\n<p>This incident adds to concerns regarding electric vehicles (EVs), which pose unique challenges for safety and emergency responders due to their lithium-ion batteries that burn longer when ignited and emit toxic fumes. This has created difficulties during incidents like January&#8217;s wildfires in Los Angeles. Recently, cargo ship Morning Midas sank after catching fire while carrying over 3,000 vehicles including EVs.<\/p>\n<p>While driving is already risky due to distractions like smartphones or reckless drivers on the road, EVs introduce additional hazards. Thankfully for Arenas, he&#8217;s safe now but may reconsider driving an EV in future situations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2452667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Trapped-in-Cybertruck.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[58003,58002,35800,33516,58004],"class_list":["post-2452666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-car-app","tag-dashboard-fire","tag-electric-vehicle","tag-ev","tag-safety-scare"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Trapped-in-Cybertruck.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2452666"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2452670,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452666\/revisions\/2452670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2452667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2452666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2452666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2452666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}