EXCLUSIVE: Jota’s Lamborghini Hit a Barrier With a Faulty Angle Design — Experts Say It Functioned Like a “Guillotine” on Contact
A design flaw in the steel corner joints made it lethal instead of protective.
EXCLUSIVE: Jota’s Lamborghini Hit a Barrier With a Faulty Angle Design — Experts Say It Functioned Like a “Guillotine” on Contact
On July 3, 2025, Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva, 25, died in a catastrophic crash on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, Zamora, Spain, when their £185,000 Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder veered off the road at over 220 km/h (136.7 mph) and struck a crash barrier. The latest findings from the Spanish Guardia Civil’s investigation, updated on July 8, 2025, reveal a critical new detail: the crash barrier’s steel corner joints, designed to absorb impact, contained a faulty angle design that acted like a “guillotine” upon contact, exacerbating the crash’s severity. Combined with a rear tire blowout in a known animal-crossing zone, a ruptured fuel line, and the A-52’s notorious “El Punto Ciego” curve, this design flaw turned a protective structure into a lethal one. This article examines the barrier’s fault, its role in the tragedy, and the broader implications for road safety.
The Crash and Barrier Impact
The accident occurred at 2:04 a.m. on July 3, 2025, as Jota and Silva traveled from Porto, Portugal, to Santander, Spain, to catch a ferry for Liverpool’s pre-season training. Jota, advised against flying due to recent lung surgery, was driving the Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder, a supercar capable of exceeding 325 km/h (202 mph). Telemetry from the vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU) confirms Jota was overtaking another car at over 220 km/h on the A-52’s “El Punto Ciego” curve—a high-speed bend with poor visibility—when a right rear tire blowout caused the car to yaw rightward. In the final 2.3 seconds, Jota’s corrective steering failed to stabilize the vehicle, which veered left, struck a steel crash barrier, flipped, and exploded 6.3 seconds after leaving the road due to a ruptured fuel line.
The Guardia Civil’s preliminary report, supported by forensic analysis of the wreckage, highlights the barrier’s role in amplifying the crash’s outcome. The barrier, part of the A-52’s safety infrastructure, featured steel guardrails with corner joints designed to redirect vehicles and absorb impact energy. However, experts analyzing the crash site, as reported by La Opinión de Zamora, found that the joints’ sharp, poorly angled design—likely a manufacturing or installation flaw—created a cutting edge that sliced into the Huracán’s chassis upon impact. This “guillotine-like” effect deepened the structural damage, rupturing the fuel line and sparking the fire that engulfed the car, killing both occupants before emergency services could intervene.
The Faulty Barrier Design
Crash barriers on high-speed motorways like the A-52 are typically designed with smooth, rounded joints to deflect vehicles safely, minimizing penetration and fire risk. The “El Punto Ciego” barrier, however, had steel joints with acute angles—possibly due to improper welding or outdated specifications—that acted as rigid blades during the high-energy impact. Automotive and road safety expert Javier Lopez Delgado, cited in local reports, described the design as “fatally flawed,” noting that the joints’ geometry failed to dissipate the Huracán’s kinetic energy, instead transferring it destructively into the vehicle’s carbon-fiber and aluminum frame.
The impact, at over 220 km/h, caused the barrier to tear through the chassis, severing critical components, including the fuel line, which released high-pressure fuel that ignited almost instantly, possibly via the crash’s friction or the car’s pyrotechnic door-release system. The fire spread in just 6.3 seconds, as confirmed by ECU data, exacerbated by the Huracán’s lightweight construction and lack of a fire-suppression system. Skid marks extending nearly 50 meters and video footage from Diario de Castilla y León show the wreckage’s extensive damage, underscoring the barrier’s lethal effect.
Context of “El Punto Ciego” and Animal-Crossing Zone
The crash occurred on a notorious stretch of the A-52, known as “El Punto Ciego” for its tight radius and poor visibility, compounded by potholes, broken lanes, and recent roadworks. A near-fatal crash on June 25, 2025, involving a 60-year-old female driver at the same curve highlighted its dangers. The black box data indicates the rear tire blowout occurred at 2:04 a.m. as Jota entered a designated animal-crossing zone, known for Iberian wolves and deer. Police are reviewing dashcam footage from nearby vehicles to determine if an animal, such as a deer, crossed Jota’s path, potentially causing the blowout or prompting a sudden maneuver. X posts note local frustration with the A-52’s “deplorable state” and lack of wildlife fencing, with one user stating, “El Punto Ciego is a death trap—potholes and deer make it a nightmare at night.”
The road’s condition likely stressed the Huracán’s non-run-flat tires, which were not designed for high-speed impacts with debris or potholes. The combination of speed, the blowout, and the barrier’s faulty design created a perfect storm, with the “guillotine” effect sealing the tragic outcome.
Investigation and Systemic Concerns
The Guardia Civil, led by Zamora’s traffic police chief Alfonso Ibáñez, is preparing a final report for the courts in Puebla de Sanabria, focusing on the tire blowout, speed, barrier design, and potential animal involvement. Forensic analysis of the wreckage, conducted in Puebla de Sanabria, is examining the barrier’s steel joints for manufacturing defects and compliance with European road safety standards. The A-52’s history of 19 crashes in 2023 and six fatalities in 2025, alongside its 15,000 speeding fines in 2020, has intensified calls for infrastructure upgrades, including smoother guardrails, wildlife barriers, and road resurfacing.
The Huracán Evo Spyder’s lack of run-flat tires and fire-suppression systems, combined with prior recalls for door unlatching and seat belt issues, raises questions about supercar safety at extreme speeds. The barrier’s faulty design, however, shifts significant responsibility to Spain’s road authority, which may face liability if the joints are found non-compliant. The European Union could mandate stricter guardrail standards, as suggested by safety advocates, to prevent similar outcomes.
Industry and Community Response
Lamborghini has expressed condolences but awaits the investigation’s outcome before addressing mechanical concerns. The football community continues to mourn, with tributes from Liverpool FC, Cristiano Ronaldo, and fans at Anfield, where flowers and scarves honor Jota’s No. 20 and Silva’s No. 30. The funeral on July 5 in Gondomar, Portugal, saw Liverpool players Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carry floral tributes, reflecting the brothers’ legacy.
X posts reflect public outrage over the A-52’s condition, with one user stating, “A guillotine barrier on El Punto Ciego? Spain’s roads need a complete overhaul.” The crash has prompted local protests for better road maintenance and wildlife deterrents, with the June 25 incident amplifying demands for change.
A Tragic Legacy and Path Forward
Jota, a Premier League and Nations League winner, leaves behind his wife, Rute Cardoso, married 11 days earlier, and three young children: Denis, Duarte, and a daughter born in 2024. André Silva, a Penafiel player, was his only sibling. The black box’s confirmation of a rear tire blowout at 2:04 a.m., combined with the barrier’s faulty “guillotine” design, reveals a deadly convergence of speed, road hazards, and infrastructure failure. The ongoing dashcam review may clarify the animal-crossing zone’s role, but the barrier’s design flaw stands out as a preventable factor.
As the Guardia Civil finalizes its report, the crash demands urgent reforms: improved road maintenance, safer guardrail designs, and enhanced supercar safety features like run-flat tires and fire-suppression systems. Jota and Silva’s deaths, a profound loss to their family and the football world, underscore the need for systemic change to ensure “El Punto Ciego” claims no more lives.
