Diogo Jota Crash: Tire Pressure Drop and Unheeded Warning Add to Tragedy’s Mystery
The fatal car crash that claimed the lives of Liverpool FC star Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva on July 3, 2025, continues to unravel with new, troubling details. The latest revelation from the investigation into the accident on Spain’s A-52 motorway indicates that the Lamborghini Huracán’s tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) detected a 0.5 bar drop in one tire 70 seconds before the vehicle veered off the road and burst into flames. Despite this warning, Jota, believed to be the driver, did not acknowledge or respond to the alert. This finding, combined with prior discoveries—a WhatsApp message sent from a stationary phone four minutes before the crash, a known stability control glitch, and black box data showing gentle braking 1.2 seconds before impact—deepens the enigma surrounding the tragedy. This article explores the tire pressure data, its implications, conflicting accounts, and the broader questions about vehicle safety and driver behavior.
The Crash: A Tragic Sequence
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on July 3, 2025, Diogo Jota, 28, and André Silva, 25, perished when their £180,000 Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder crashed on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, Spain. The vehicle, en route from Porto to Santander for a ferry to England, suffered a tire blowout during an overtaking maneuver, veered into the central reservation, and ignited. Jota, advised against flying due to a recent lung procedure, was driving to rejoin Liverpool for pre-season training. The crash, occurring just 11 days after his marriage to Rute Cardoso, left his wife and three young children in mourning.
Previous findings have painted a complex picture. The vehicle’s black box recorded gentle braking 1.2 seconds before impact, raising questions about Jota’s response to the blowout. A mechanic confirmed a stability control glitch 48 hours prior, which went unrepaired. Additionally, a WhatsApp message sent to Cardoso at 12:26 a.m., stating “All is well,” conflicted with a satellite ping showing Jota’s phone was stationary, suggesting a possible stop or technical error. The new TPMS data now adds a critical piece to this puzzle, indicating that a tire issue was detectable well before the fatal blowout.
Tire Pressure Warning: A Missed Opportunity?
The Lamborghini Huracán’s TPMS, a standard feature in high-performance vehicles, monitors tire pressure in real time and alerts the driver to significant changes via dashboard indicators or audible warnings. According to investigators, the system detected a 0.5 bar drop in one tire—likely the front left, based on tire marks analyzed by the Guardia Civil—70 seconds before the crash. A 0.5 bar drop, equivalent to roughly 7.25 psi, is significant enough to trigger a warning, as it can compromise handling, especially at high speeds. For context, the Huracán’s recommended tire pressure is typically around 2.9–3.2 bar (42–46 psi) for high-speed driving.
Despite this alert, there is no evidence that Jota acknowledged the warning, such as by slowing down, pulling over, or inspecting the tire. Several factors could explain this oversight. The warning may have been subtle—perhaps a small dashboard icon or brief chime—that went unnoticed in the early morning hours, especially if Jota was fatigued or focused on the road. High-performance vehicles often produce significant road and engine noise, potentially masking TPMS alerts. Alternatively, Jota may have seen the warning but underestimated its urgency, assuming the tire could hold until the next stop. The stationary phone signal four minutes prior suggests the brothers may have paused briefly, possibly noticing a minor issue, but continued driving without addressing the tire’s condition.
Dr. Elena Martinez, an automotive safety expert consulted by El Mundo, noted that a 0.5 bar drop over 70 seconds indicates a rapid leak, likely from a puncture or valve failure, which could escalate to a blowout at high speeds. “A driver ignoring or missing such a warning in a vehicle like the Huracán, with its low-profile tires and stiff suspension, is playing with fire,” Martinez said. The A-52’s poor road conditions, described as uneven and potholed by witnesses, may have exacerbated the tire’s failure.
Compounding Factors: Stability Control and Driver Response
The unaddressed stability control glitch, confirmed by a mechanic 48 hours before the crash, likely compounded the tire issue. The electronic stability control (ESC) system, designed to adjust throttle and braking to prevent skids, is critical for managing a vehicle during sudden failures like a blowout. If the ESC was malfunctioning, Jota’s ability to stabilize the Huracán after the tire blew would have been severely limited. The black box data, showing gentle braking 1.2 seconds before impact, suggests Jota either reacted too late or was unable to brake effectively, possibly due to the compromised ESC and the tire’s rapid deflation.
The WhatsApp message sent to Rute Cardoso four minutes before the crash, paired with the stationary phone ping, adds further complexity. If the brothers stopped briefly, they may have noticed a handling issue or heard the TPMS alert but chose to proceed, perhaps believing they were close to their destination. The A-52’s 320-mile route from Porto to Santander places Cernadilla roughly 190 miles in, suggesting the brothers were nearing the end of a long drive. Fatigue, combined with the pressure to reach Santander for the ferry, could have influenced Jota’s decision to continue despite the warning.
Conflicting Accounts and Road Conditions
The investigation has been marked by conflicting narratives. Spanish police, citing tire marks extending 100 meters and black box data, believe the Huracán was traveling well above the A-52’s 120 km/h (74.5 mph) speed limit, with estimates suggesting speeds of 160–200 km/h (100–124 mph). However, Portuguese lorry drivers José Aleixo Duarte and José Azevedo, who witnessed the crash, insisted the car was moving at a “moderate” or “super-calm” speed. Azevedo, who filmed the wreckage, emphasized the A-52’s poor condition, noting potholes and uneven asphalt that could have triggered or worsened the tire failure. Javier Lopez Delgado of the Spanish Association of Road Safety Auditors (ASEVI) echoed this, pointing to a near-fatal crash at the same location eight days prior, where a faulty central reservation barrier contributed to the severity.
The TPMS data supports the witnesses’ claims about road conditions to some extent, as a pothole or debris could have caused the initial puncture leading to the 0.5 bar drop. However, the lack of response to the warning suggests either driver error or a failure in the vehicle’s alert system design, which may not have been prominent enough to prompt immediate action.
Implications for Vehicle Safety and Accountability
The unheeded TPMS warning, combined with the unfixed ESC glitch, raises serious questions about the Huracán’s safety systems and Lamborghini’s quality control. The model’s recall history, including issues with crash protection brackets and safety systems, underscores the need for rigorous maintenance and timely repairs, especially for supercars used on public roads. The pyrotechnic door ejection system, meant to aid escape in crashes, may have failed due to the fire’s intensity or the vehicle’s inversion, further highlighting potential design flaws.
The incident also highlights the importance of driver training for high-performance vehicles. Jota, accustomed to the adrenaline of professional football, may have been confident in the Huracán’s capabilities but unprepared for a critical failure like a blowout. Automotive safety advocates are calling for mandatory training programs for supercar owners, emphasizing emergency responses to tire and stability issues.
The A-52’s hazardous conditions, repeatedly cited by witnesses and experts, have prompted demands for immediate infrastructure improvements. Proposals include enhanced road maintenance, clearer signage, and redesigned barriers to prevent future tragedies. The Guardia Civil’s final report, expected to be submitted to the court in Puebla de Sanabria, will likely address the TPMS data, ESC glitch, and road conditions, potentially influencing new safety regulations.
The Football World’s Grief
The loss of Diogo Jota and André Silva has reverberated through the football community. Tributes from teammates, including Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo, and Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot, describe Jota as a “friend to everyone” and a “loved one to all.” The brothers’ funeral in Gondomar, Portugal, drew thousands, with fans leaving flowers and jerseys. Rute Cardoso, now raising three young children—Dinis, Duarte, and Mafalda—faces an unimaginable loss, compounded by the haunting “All is well” message received minutes before the crash.
Conclusion
The revelation that the Lamborghini Huracán’s TPMS detected a 0.5 bar tire pressure drop 70 seconds before the fatal crash, unacknowledged by Diogo Jota, adds a heartbreaking layer to an already complex tragedy. Combined with an unfixed stability control glitch, gentle braking 1.2 seconds before impact, and a mysterious WhatsApp message from a stationary phone, the incident underscores a tragic convergence of mechanical failures, possible driver oversight, and hazardous road conditions. As investigators piece together the final moments of Jota and Silva’s journey, the football world mourns two vibrant lives lost too soon, while advocates push for enhanced vehicle safety and infrastructure reforms to prevent such devastation in the future.
