Chino Moreno, lead singer and back-up guitarist in American rock band Deftones said the group's bassist, Chi Cheng, who suffered a car crash on Monday, is currently hospitalized in a Northern California clinic in "serious, but stable condition."

According to The Sacramento Bee, Chi Cheng was rushed to a San Hose hospital, where is currently in a coma, following a car accident in Santa Clara on Monday. Reached by phone, Chino Moreno, who also leads American experimental alternative rock group Team Sleep, refused to get into specifics regarding Cheng's injuries but said he was very "freaked out about" the car crash.

"I don't know everything that's going on — I just know it's very serious," Moreno told the newspaper. In a post on the band's studio blog, Moreno later wrote that he was "deeply saddened" to learn about the terrible car crash and was on his way "up north right now to be by his side, along with the rest of our bandmates and family."

Born in Stockton, 38-year-old Cheng, who is also an accomplished poet, has been playing with Deftones since 1988. In 2000, he released a CD of his poetry, "The Bamboo Parachute".

"Chi is one of the strongest people I know, and I'm praying that his strength will get him through this. Please say a prayer for him as well," Moreno added. Warner Brothers record label is expected to release a statement on Cheng's condition later today.

Most recently, Cheng has been working in the studio with Deftones on the group's upcoming album, "Eros," which is the first one produced entirely by Deftones. Their sixth album, "Eros" is set to hit the shelves in the Spring of 2009 via Warner Bros. According to MTV News' Metal File, a source close to the band said the album "sounds nothing like what they've done in the past."

Speaking on the album's progress, Cheng told drownedinsound.com that their new material is "heavy as f--- with a s---load of groove and even though it's been driving me crazy as it runs through my insomniatic brain, I am really excited!"
Deftones' most recent live show was in mid-September in Peoria, Arizona.

The Sacramento-based band, which has been active for over 20 years, released their debut album "Adrenaline," on Madonna's Maverick Records label in 1995. The record sold 500,000 copies and was followed up by "Around the Fur." They have been selling millions of records ever since. The band's 2000 album, "White Pony," sold over 1 million records, becoming the group's biggest-selling release, which also gained them a Grammy Award for best metal performance for the song "Elite."