Spanish authorities believe Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota was behind the wheel and likely speeding when his Lamborghini crashed on a motorway in Zamora, killing both him and his younger brother André Silva.
Jota, 28, a Liverpool and Portugal international, and Silva, 25, died early last Thursday when their car reportedly suffered a tyre blowout and veered off the A52 motorway near Palacios de Sanabria, in northwestern Spain. The vehicle left the road, overturned, and caught fire.
According to the Guardia Civil, the crash likely occurred during an overtaking manoeuvre. “All the available evidence, including tyre marks, indicates Diogo Jota was driving at the time of the accident,” said local traffic police in Zamora. “It also points to excessive speed beyond the legal limit for the road.”
Investigators say their task has been complicated by the scale of the fire, which almost completely destroyed the car. A formal report is being compiled for the courts.
The tragic accident came just 11 days after Jota married his long-time partner Rute Cardoso in Portugal. The couple had three children. He and his brother were reportedly travelling to the port city of Santander so Jota could catch a connection back to Liverpool for pre-season training.
Their funeral was held over the weekend in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto, and was attended by family, teammates, and friends who paid tribute to both men.
Tyre tracks were reportedly visible for around 100 metres before the vehicle came to rest. While there were suggestions the road surface was uneven in the area, police told Spanish media that the site was not considered an accident “black spot” and should have been safe even at speeds exceeding the 120 km/h (75 mph) limit.
