Authorities investigating the deaths of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother say they are trying to determine how fast the two men’s car was traveling before it crashed this week.
Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva, 26, were killed when their Lamborghini left a highway in the western Zamora region of Spain around 12:30 a.m. Thursday local time.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard, which is leading the investigation, said it was “thought” one of the supercar’s tires had “burst” before the crash.
“At the moment it is impossible to say exactly how fast the car was traveling, but it is something that the Civil Guard investigators will be able to detail at least approximately in their final report, from things like skid marks,” they said.
Diogo Jota won the English Premier League with Liverpool this year. (Reuters: Hannah McKay)
“What I can confirm is that no other vehicles were involved and no one else was injured.”
It appears that the car Jota and his brother were in was overtaking another vehicle at the time of the accident.
The crumpled and charred wreckage of the Lamborghini was removed from the site early Thursday, but debris remained on the side of the road.
Britain’s PA news agency on Thursday cited a Spanish government source as saying investigators were treating the fatal crash as “a possible speeding incident.”
Tire tracks are visible on the Spanish highway where Diogo Jota was killed. (Reuters: Rita Franca)
Ángel Blanco, a local government official, also made a statement Thursday local time in which he cited a burst tire as being at the heart of the accident.
Among those paying tribute on Thursday were Spanish and British politicians, footballers and the British royal family.
Jota, the striker, was known worldwide for his exploits on the pitch.
He has scored 47 goals in 123 appearances for English Premier League giants Liverpool, where he has played for the past five seasons. He also made 49 appearances for the Portugal national team.
His brother was also a professional footballer, playing for Portuguese second division club Penafiel.
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Jota married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, two weeks before the accident. He leaves behind three young children.
On Thursday, authorities could be seen combing the accident site on the A-52 highway, near the village of Cernadilla.
CNN Portugal reported that Jota was heading to the port city of Santander, where he planned to board a ferry to the United Kingdom with his brother.
He was told not to fly after undergoing lung surgery, the channel’s sports editor, Rui Laura, said.
Fans gathered and paid their respects outside Liverpool’s Anfield ground on Thursday as news of the star’s death broke.
“He left behind a wife and three children, his brother died with him and his poor parents lost their children,” Marc Gaier, one of his supporters, told the BBC.
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“I mean, we’ll always remember him as a great Red, but when something like that happens, football doesn’t matter anymore.”
In a statement, the club said it was “devastated” by Jota’s death.
