All available evidence suggests that Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota was behind the wheel during a crash on a Spanish motorway that resulted in his death along with his brother, André Silva, who was 25 years old. The incident occurred early last Thursday when their Lamborghini reportedly hit a tyre blowout in the Zamora province.
Spain’s Guardia Civil police have stated that the car was seen overtaking on the A52 motorway near Palacios de Sanabria before veering off the road and igniting a fire. Local traffic police have mentioned that “Everything also points to a possible excessive speed beyond the speed limit of the road [highway].”
The investigation has included analysis of tyre marks left on the road, which were found approximately 100 meters away from where the tyre blew. Police assessed that the driver at the time of the crash was Jota. Due to the severity of the fire that engulfed the car, obtaining further evidence has posed challenges for officials preparing an expert report for the courts.
The devastating accident came shortly after Jota had just married his partner, Rute Cardoso, and the couple shared three young children. They were reportedly en route to the port of Santander for him to begin pre-season training in Liverpool.
Their funeral was held in Gondomar, Portugal, where family, friends, and teammates honored the beloved player. Despite earlier claims pointing to possibly dangerous road conditions, authorities clarified that the area was not characterized as an accident “black spot,” suggesting that it was generally safe for travel at speeds over the 120km/h (75mph) limit.
