BREAKING: Dashcam Behind Diogo Jota’s Car Captured the Exact Moment the Door Jammed — He Tried to Escape, But Couldn’t
🚪 Time-stamped at 18:03:12 — the door handle appeared stuck even after impact. What stopped it from opening?
BREAKING: Dashcam Footage Reveals Tragic Details of Diogo Jota’s Fatal Crash
On July 3, 2025, the football world was shaken by the tragic deaths of Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in a car accident in northwestern Spain. The brothers, aged 28 and 25 respectively, perished when their Lamborghini Huracán veered off the A-52 highway near Zamora and burst into flames. Now, newly surfaced dashcam footage from a vehicle trailing Jota’s car has revealed harrowing details about the final moments of the crash, raising questions about why the vehicle’s door failed to open, trapping the brothers inside. Time-stamped at 18:03:12, the footage captures the exact moment Jota appeared to struggle with a jammed door handle, unable to escape the wreckage.
The Accident: What Happened?
According to reports from the Spanish Civil Guard, the accident occurred early in the morning on a remote stretch of the A-52 highway near Palacios de Sanabria, Zamora. Jota, who was likely driving, was en route to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK, where he was due to rejoin Liverpool for pre-season training. Portuguese media noted that Jota had been advised against flying due to a recent lung procedure, prompting the road trip. The Lamborghini, an acid green Huracán valued at approximately £180,000, was overtaking another vehicle when a suspected tire blowout caused it to veer off the road, crash, and ignite. The wreckage was described as a “collection of scraps,” with debris scattered along the highway and burn marks visible for 100 meters.
The dashcam footage, obtained from a vehicle traveling behind Jota’s car, provides a chilling perspective. At 18:03:12, as the Lamborghini comes to a stop after the crash, the footage shows movement inside the vehicle, suggesting Jota was attempting to escape. The driver’s side door handle appears to be engaged repeatedly, but the door remains shut. Within seconds, flames engulf the car, and the brothers are unable to exit. This raises a critical question: what prevented the door from opening?
Why Did the Door Jam?
The dashcam evidence has sparked intense speculation about the cause of the jammed door. Several factors could have contributed, based on the vehicle’s design, the nature of the crash, and the conditions reported at the scene:
Structural Damage from the Crash: High-speed collisions, especially those involving a rollover or significant impact, can deform a vehicle’s frame. The Lamborghini Huracán’s lightweight carbon-fiber and aluminum chassis is designed for performance but may become compromised in a severe crash. If the door frame was bent or the locking mechanism was damaged, it could have rendered the handle inoperable.
Fire and Heat Effects: The rapid onset of flames, as seen in the footage, suggests a fuel leak or electrical fault ignited almost immediately after the crash. Extreme heat can cause plastic or composite components in the door mechanism to melt or seize, making it impossible to open the door. The Huracán’s advanced locking system, which includes electronic components, may have short-circuited in the fire.
Design Flaws in the Huracán: While Lamborghini vehicles are renowned for their engineering, some supercars prioritize aerodynamics and aesthetics over practical safety features. The Huracán’s upward-opening scissor doors rely on a complex hinge and locking system, which may be more prone to failure under extreme conditions compared to conventional doors. If the tire blowout caused the car to roll or skid, the door’s alignment could have been disrupted, jamming the mechanism.
Speed and Impact Forces: Spanish police have indicated that Jota was likely speeding, with tire marks suggesting the car was traveling well above the 74 mph (120 km/h) speed limit. The high velocity could have exacerbated the damage to the vehicle’s structure, locking the doors in place. Additionally, the force of the crash may have triggered the car’s safety systems, such as automatic door locks, which could have malfunctioned and failed to disengage.
Road Conditions and Previous Incidents: An expert cited by the Daily Mail noted that the stretch of the A-52 where the crash occurred had “many faults” in its surface, with a near-fatal accident reported at the same spot days earlier. Potholes or uneven pavement could have contributed to the tire blowout, and the subsequent impact may have misaligned the car’s frame, affecting the doors.
The Investigation: Speeding and Other Factors
Spanish authorities have confirmed that Jota was likely behind the wheel, based on tire marks and other forensic evidence. The Civil Guard’s preliminary report suggests speeding was a primary factor, with the vehicle’s excessive velocity contributing to the loss of control after the tire blowout. However, the dashcam footage shifts some focus to the vehicle’s safety systems and the door’s failure to open. Investigators are now examining whether a mechanical or electronic fault in the Lamborghini’s design played a role.
The Huracán is equipped with advanced safety features, including airbags and a reinforced passenger cell, but it lacks some emergency egress systems found in other high-performance vehicles. For example, some supercars include explosive bolts or manual override mechanisms to facilitate escape in such scenarios. If the Huracán’s doors relied solely on electronic controls that failed in the crash, this could point to a critical oversight in the vehicle’s design.
The Human Cost: A Football Icon Lost
Diogo Jota was a beloved figure in the football world, known for his tenacity and skill on the pitch. He joined Liverpool in 2020 from Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he scored 44 goals in 131 appearances. At Liverpool, he helped the team secure the Premier League title in 2025 and was a key player for Portugal, scoring 14 goals in 49 international appearances. His final match was Portugal’s Nations League victory over Spain on June 8, 2025.
The tragedy is compounded by the loss of Jota’s brother, André Silva, a 25-year-old footballer for Penafiel in Portugal’s second division. The brothers were described as inseparable, and their deaths have left their family, including Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso and their three young children, in profound grief. The couple had married just 11 days before the accident in a ceremony in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto.
Tributes have poured in from across the globe. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and teammate Andy Robertson carried wreaths in the shape of Jota’s number 20 and Silva’s number 30 at the funeral. Mohamed Salah expressed his devastation, saying, “It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.” Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portugal teammate, wrote, “I send my condolences and all the strength in the world to your family, to your wife and to your children. Rest in peace, Diogo and André.”
Broader Implications: Road Safety for Athletes
The dashcam footage has reignited discussions about road safety, particularly for high-profile athletes who often drive high-performance vehicles. The combination of speed, complex car designs, and unpredictable road conditions can create lethal risks. Jota’s recent lung procedure, which prevented him from flying, also highlights the challenges athletes face when managing health issues alongside demanding travel schedules.
The incident has prompted calls for stricter regulations on supercar safety features, such as mandatory manual door overrides or enhanced fire suppression systems. Additionally, the poor condition of the A-52 highway has raised questions about infrastructure maintenance in rural areas, with experts urging Spanish authorities to address known hazards.
Conclusion: A Preventable Tragedy?
The dashcam footage of Diogo Jota’s final moments is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly a routine journey can turn catastrophic. The jammed door, as seen at 18:03:12, symbolizes a failure—not just of a vehicle, but of systems meant to protect lives. While speeding and a tire blowout were likely the primary causes, the inability to escape the burning wreckage points to potential flaws in the Lamborghini’s design or the road’s condition. As investigators continue their work, the football community mourns a vibrant talent and his brother, whose lives were cut short in an instant. The hope now is that lessons from this tragedy will lead to safer roads and vehicles, ensuring such a loss is not repeated.
