Diogo Jota thought to have been driving before fatal crash, Spanish police say

By Lily Shanagher, PA

Diogo Jota is thought to have been driving when he and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash last week, Spanish police have said.

The Liverpool player and father-of-three was killed alongside his brother, also a footballer, after the Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of last Thursday in Zamora, Spain.

A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil of Zamora told the PA news agency that tests being carried out by its traffic division showed Jota was driving the car at the time.

The spokesperson added that the car was thought to be travelling above the speed limit on the road, which local media report is 120km/h.

The spokesperson said: “The expert report is being carried out and finished, where among other things they are studying the marks (tread) left by one of the wheels of the vehicle.

“Everything also points to a possible high excess of speed over the permitted speed of the road.

“All the tests carried out for the moment point to the fact that the driver of the vehicle was Diogo Jota.”

The report has not yet been finalised but will be handed over to the court in the town of Puebla de Sanabria, Zamora.

Jota and his brother were found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.

Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.

Footballers, family and fans gathered for the funeral of the brothers, which took place in their native Portugal on Saturday.

Jota’s long-term partner Rute Cardoso, whom he had married just 11 days before the accident, was in attendance, as were his parents.

Tributes poured in from around the world, with Oasis and Cristiano Ronaldo among those who mourned the loss of the brothers.