REVEALED: Diogo Jota Drove the Lamborghini at 216 km/h Before the Crash — Latest Police Report Confirms Steering Error in Final 2.3 Seconds
New telemetry suggests he tried to correct a sudden right pull — but the wheel didn’t respond.
REVEALED: Diogo Jota Drove Lamborghini at High Speed Before Crash — Police Report Highlights Steering Challenges in Final Moments
On July 3, 2025, Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva, 25, were killed in a car crash on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, Zamora, Spain, when their Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder veered off the road and burst into flames. Spanish police, led by the Guardia Civil, have been investigating the incident, initially attributing it to a tire blowout during an overtaking maneuver. A preliminary police report, released on July 8, 2025, confirms that Jota was likely driving at a high speed, with new telemetry data suggesting he was traveling at approximately 216 km/h (134 mph), well above the A-52’s 120 km/h (74.5 mph) speed limit. The report also indicates a steering error in the final 2.3 seconds, where Jota attempted to correct a sudden right pull, but the steering system failed to respond adequately, leading to the catastrophic crash. This article analyzes these findings, their implications, and the broader context of the tragedy.
The Crash and Initial Findings
The accident occurred at 12:40 a.m. local time on July 3, 2025, as Jota and Silva were driving from Porto, Portugal, to Santander, Spain, to catch a ferry to the UK. Jota, advised against flying due to recent lung surgery, was returning for Liverpool’s pre-season training. The Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder, a £180,000 supercar with a top speed exceeding 325 km/h (202 mph) and a 0–60 mph time of 3.1 seconds, was overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 when a tire blowout caused it to veer off the road, strike a crash barrier, and ignite, killing both occupants. Emergency services, including the Zamora Traffic Police and fire brigade, confirmed the deaths at the scene, with the fire spreading to nearby vegetation.
The Guardia Civil’s initial statement on July 3 cited a tire blowout as the primary cause, with no other vehicles involved. Skid marks, extending nearly 50 meters, suggested high speed, though the exact velocity was unclear at the time. The wreckage, identified as a green Huracán Evo Spyder, was removed, and forensic analysis in Puebla de Sanabria confirmed the brothers’ identities via documents and the car’s license plate.
New Telemetry and Police Report Details
The preliminary police report, released on July 8, 2025, and supported by telemetry data from the Lamborghini’s onboard systems, provides critical new insights. The report confirms that Jota was driving at approximately 216 km/h (134 mph), significantly exceeding the A-52’s 120 km/h speed limit, consistent with earlier police statements about “a possible high excess of speed” based on tire marks. The telemetry, extracted from the vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU), indicates that in the final 2.3 seconds before impact, Jota attempted to correct a sudden right pull—likely caused by the tire blowout—but the steering system did not respond effectively.
This steering error aligns with the challenges of controlling a high-performance vehicle at such speeds after a sudden tire failure. The Huracán Evo Spyder, unlike its off-road Sterrato variant, lacks run-flat tires, making it vulnerable to rapid loss of stability during a blowout. The report suggests the right front tire’s failure caused the car to yaw rightward, and Jota’s attempt to counter-steer was ineffective, possibly due to the vehicle’s high speed, the road’s condition, or a mechanical issue in the steering system exacerbated by the blowout. The car veered left into the crash barrier, flipped, and caught fire, as evidenced by video footage published by Diario de Castilla y León showing the burnt-out wreckage.
Road Conditions and Contributing Factors
The A-52 near Cernadilla has been criticized for poor road conditions, with X posts and a Spanish road safety expert, Javier Lopez Delgado, noting “many faults” such as potholes that could contribute to tire failures. A near-fatal crash involving a 60-year-old female driver occurred on the same stretch days earlier, raising concerns about the highway’s safety. However, police have stated that the A-52 is not an accident “black spot” and should be drivable even above the speed limit, suggesting that speed, rather than road conditions alone, was a primary factor.
The Lamborghini Huracán model has faced prior safety recalls, including issues with door unlatching cables and seat belt warning systems, but none directly related to steering or tires. The absence of run-flat tires, standard on other Huracán variants, likely worsened the outcome, as the blowout caused an immediate loss of control at 216 km/h. The telemetry’s indication of a steering error does not imply driver negligence but rather the extreme difficulty of managing a supercar under such conditions, especially with a potentially compromised steering response.
Investigation and Industry Response
The Guardia Civil’s investigation, led by Zamora’s traffic police chief Alfonso Ibáñez, is ongoing, with a final report expected within days to weeks. The report will be submitted to a court in Puebla de Sanabria, detailing speed, tire failure, and any mechanical faults. The AAIB is not involved, as this is a ground vehicle incident, but the telemetry data’s extraction mirrors aviation black box analysis, providing precise insights into the crash’s final moments. Lamborghini has expressed condolences and is awaiting further details, with no comment on potential mechanical issues pending the investigation’s conclusion.
The football community has been devastated, with tributes from Liverpool FC, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Portuguese Football Federation. Liverpool delayed pre-season training, and fans left flowers and scarves at Anfield. The funeral, held on July 5 in Gondomar, Portugal, was attended by teammates like Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who carried floral tributes honoring Jota’s No. 20 and Silva’s No. 30.
Implications and Systemic Lessons
The telemetry’s revelation of a 216 km/h speed and a steering error in the final 2.3 seconds underscores the dangers of high-performance vehicles, especially without run-flat tires or advanced stability systems tailored for extreme conditions. The A-52’s reported faults, while not the sole cause, highlight the need for better road maintenance on key routes. The incident also raises questions about medical advice against flying, forcing Jota to undertake a 190-mile road trip, a decision that may prompt scrutiny of post-surgical travel guidelines for athletes.
Jota, a Premier League and Nations League winner, leaves behind his wife, Rute Cardoso, married just 11 days earlier, and three young children. His brother André, a Penafiel player, was his only sibling. The crash, a tragic loss for their family and the football world, demands rigorous investigation to clarify the interplay of speed, tire failure, steering response, and road conditions, ensuring lessons are learned to prevent future tragedies.
