Diogo Jota Car Accident

The Diogo Jota car accident on July 3, 2025, killed Liverpool FC (LFC) forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva when their Lamborghini Huracan suffered a tyre blowout on the A-52 motorway in northwestern Spain. Jota was driving because doctors had advised him against flying after lung surgery. The car veered off the road, crashed into the central reservation, and burst into flames in the early hours of the morning near Zamora province. A Spanish court later ruled there was no criminal liability in the deaths.

This article covers 4 main areas: the fatal car crash details, the police investigation findings, the Spanish court ruling, and the tributes paid to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva.

The Tragic Death of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva: Investigation and Court Ruling

Diogo Jota and Andre Silva died in a fatal car crash in Spain on July 3, 2025, and a Spanish court ruled in April 2026 that no criminal liability exists in connection with the deaths. The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y León (TSJCyL) confirmed the ruling after reviewing expert reports and physical evidence from the crash scene.

Jota was 28 years old at the time of the Diogo Jota car accident and would have turned 29 on December 4, 2025. Jota had married wife Rute Cardoso just 11 days before the crash. Liverpool FC (LFC) defender Andy Robertson and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, now at Brentford, were among the guests at Jota’s wedding.

The ruling brought a degree of closure to a case that had been under judicial investigation since July 2025, though civil action remains an option for affected parties.

Overview of the Fatal Car Crash

The Diogo Jota car crash occurred at approximately 12:40 am on July 3, 2025, on the A-52 motorway near Palacios de Sanabria, roughly 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Valladolid, Spain.

Jota was driving his Lamborghini Huracan with his brother Andre Silva as a passenger. The 2 men were traveling from Portugal toward Santander, Spain, where they planned to board an overnight ferry to Portsmouth, England. Jota was heading back to Liverpool to report for preseason training.

The reason Jota was driving rather than flying was his recent lung surgery. Doctors were concerned about cabin pressure on flights and advised Jota against flying. CNN Portugal journalist Rui Laura confirmed the travel plan, stating: “He was on his way to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to cross the ferry and reach the UK that way and carry on with the car once he reached Britain.”

The crash unfolded in 3 stages:

• Tyre blowout: The Lamborghini Huracan suffered a tyre blowout while Jota was overtaking another vehicle on the A-52.
• Loss of control: The car veered off the road and crashed into the central reservation.
• Fire: The vehicle burst into flames and was almost completely destroyed.

Firefighters, emergency services, and Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) officers attended the scene and extinguished the fire. Both Jota and Silva were confirmed dead shortly after emergency services arrived. The fire damage to the wreckage was so extensive that it initially prevented identification of the 2 victims. Rute Cardoso, Jota’s wife, identified the 2 men herself after police were unable to do so.

Police Investigation and Findings

The Civil Guard traffic officers in Zamora carried out the police investigation into the Diogo Jota traffic accident, analyzing physical evidence from the crash site and preparing an expert report for submission to the courts.

The Civil Guard issued this statement: “The investigation into the crash is being carried out by Civil Guard traffic officers. We believe the car suffered a blowout from the marks on the road. The full police report, once it is completed, will be submitted to a duty court in Zamora, which has launched an ongoing judicial investigation into this crash.”

The statement confirmed that no other vehicle was involved and no other person was injured.

Speeding Allegations and Expert Analysis

Police analysis found that the Lamborghini Huracan was probably traveling above the speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph) at the time of the crash. Zamora’s local traffic police stated: “Everything also points to a possible excessive speed beyond the speed limit of the road.”

The investigation produced 3 key physical findings:

• Tyre marks: Marks were visible approximately 100 meters (330 feet) from the point of impact, consistent with a high-speed blowout.
• Driver identification: Police studied the tyre marks and confirmed that “all the tests carried out so far indicate that the driver of the crashed vehicle was Diogo Jota.”
• Road condition: Police confirmed the A-52 at that location was not an accident “black spot” and the road surface was driveable beyond the speed limit.

The intensity of the fire that destroyed the Lamborghini added complexity to the investigation, as physical evidence within the vehicle was significantly compromised.

Circumstances Surrounding the Incident

Jota undertook the road journey to Santander as a direct result of medical advice received after lung surgery. The surgery took place in the weeks following Jota’s participation in the Nations League final on June 8, 2025, in which Jota played a key role in Portugal’s penalty shootout win over Spain.

After the Nations League final, Jota returned to Portugal and married Rute Cardoso. The couple had 3 young children together. Following the wedding, Jota was preparing to return to Liverpool for preseason when the Diogo Jota car crash occurred.

Andre Silva, Jota’s brother, was a professional footballer in Portugal’s second division for FC Penafiel and had previously played for Porto, as had Jota.

The planned route covered 3 legs:

• Portugal to Benavente, Spain: By road through northwestern Spain.
• Benavente to Santander, Spain: Continuing north along the A-52 motorway, where the crash occurred.
• Santander to Portsmouth, England: By overnight ferry, then continuing by car to Liverpool.

Legal Outcome: Spanish Court Ruling

A Spanish court ruled in April 2026 that no criminal liability exists in connection with the deaths of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. The ruling followed a full judicial investigation that included documentary evidence and expert reports from the Civil Guard’s Traffic Unit.

Sources close to the TSJCyL confirmed the outcome to The Athletic: “The Court of First Instance in Puebla de Sanabria dismissed the case last November after assessing the documentary evidence in the file and, in particular, the expert reports issued by the Civil Guard’s Traffic Unit.”

The High Court of Justice (HCJ) for the Castilla y León region reviewed the case and determined that no criminal proceedings could be brought over the deaths. The ruling confirmed that the crash resulted from a high-speed tyre blowout during an overtaking maneuver, with no third-party criminal action identified.

Absence of Criminal Liability

The Court of First Instance in Puebla de Sanabria dismissed the criminal case in November 2025, and the TSJCyL confirmed the final ruling in April 2026.

The court’s position included 1 key clarification: “The dismissal of the criminal proceedings does not preclude the possibility of the affected parties bringing a civil action to claim whatever they deem appropriate.”

This means civil litigation remains available to the families of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, even though no criminal charges have been filed.

Tributes and Legacy

Liverpool FC retired Diogo Jota’s number 20 jersey following the Diogo Jota car accident, and the club’s supporters began singing Jota’s chant during the 20th minute of every match in the 2025-26 season as a tribute.

LFC head coach Arne Slot paid tribute to Jota and to the way the club handled the loss: “The players and our fans and everyone connected to the football club, everybody has conducted themselves so well. Every game in the 20th minute, the fans sing for him. And from the moment it happened until now, I think I’m proud of how everyone has handled the situation. As a club, as players, as supporters, in my opinion, we couldn’t have done better than we did.”

Liverpool mourned Jota’s loss throughout the season, with tears shed at a charity legends game where former players gathered to pay their respects. Arne Slot also referenced Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise in separate comments during the same period, reflecting the club’s continued focus on the Premier League (PL) season through the grief.

Jota’s former Liverpool teammates Andy Robertson and Caoimhin Kelleher were among those who attended Jota’s wedding just 11 days before the crash. Robertson later shared publicly that Jota had appeared in a dream, saying “all I could think about was him.”

Jota and Silva’s funeral took place in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, over the weekend following the crash.

Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, has continued to share family updates publicly. In one post, Cardoso marked the passage of time with the words “one whole year,” reflecting on life since the Diogo Jota car crash.

The Diogo Jota car accident on July 3, 2025, on the A-52 motorway in Spain remains one of the most significant losses in Premier League history. The Lamborghini Huracan tyre blowout that killed Diogo Jota and Andre Silva occurred as Jota drove toward Santander to take a ferry to England, a route taken because post-surgery medical advice prevented Jota from flying. The Civil Guard investigation identified probable speeding and confirmed Jota as the driver. The TSJCyL ruled in April 2026 that no criminal liability applies, though civil action remains open. Liverpool FC retired Jota’s number 20 shirt, and fans sing in Jota’s memory during the 20th minute of every match.