Spanish authorities have issued a second statement following the fatal car accident that claimed the lives of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva.
The two brothers tragically lost their lives in the early hours of Thursday morning after their vehicle crashed in Zamora, a region in northwestern Spain, as they were en route to Santander.
Initial investigations by local law enforcement revealed that the car suffered a tyre burst during an overtaking maneuver and burst into flames, leaving both occupants dead at the scene.
“A road accident occurred at 12.30am this morning at kilometre 65 of the A-52 motorway, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora,” the police statement read.
“A vehicle left the road and everything indicates tyre burst while overtaking. As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both people were killed.”
A wake was held for the brothers in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto, followed by a burial service on Saturday.
The emotional ceremony was attended by several of Jota’s teammates from both Liverpool and the Portuguese national team.
As investigations continue, the Civil Guard released a second official statement on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Spanish outlet El Mundo, while confirmation is pending, authorities believe Jota was behind the wheel of the Lamborghini at the time of the incident and that speed may have been a contributing factor.
“The expert report is still being worked on and finalised,” the Civil Guard told AFP.
“Among other things traffic police from the Zamora branch of the Civil Guard are studying the tread marked by one of the wheels of the vehicle.
“Everything is also pointing to a possible high excess of speed over the permitted speed on that stretch of the motorway.
“All the tests carried out for the moment point to the driver of the crash vehicle being Diogo Jota.
“The expert police report when it is finalised will be handed over to a court in Puebla de Sanabria.”
El Mundo further reported that family members played a significant role in identifying who was driving and who was in the passenger seat based on personal belongings recovered from the wreckage.
The final report is still pending, and it’s uncertain whether the findings will be made public upon completion.
Jota, a key figure at Liverpool since joining in 2020 and scoring 65 goals for the club, had only recently tied the knot with his childhood love, Rute Cardoso.
The couple shared three children. Just hours before the crash, the footballer posted a video from his wedding celebrations.
Liverpool are set to return to the pitch for the first time since the devastating loss on Sunday, facing Preston in a friendly match scheduled to be broadcast on ITV.
