A Spanish court has ruled that there was no criminal liability in the tragic road accident that claimed the lives of former Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva. The incident occurred on July 3 of last year when their Lamborghini veered off the A-52 motorway in the province of Zamora, northern Spain.
Investigation Findings
An investigation determined that the crash was caused by a burst tyre while the vehicle was overtaking another car. After hitting a central barrier, the car burst into flames. The High Court of Justice for the region has now concluded that no criminal proceedings can be brought regarding the deaths of Jota and Silva.
Sources from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y Leon told The Athletic: "The Court of First Instance in Puebla de Sanabria dismissed the case last November after assessing the documentary evidence in the file and, in particular, the expert reports issued by the Civil Guard's Traffic Unit. The dismissal of the criminal proceedings does not preclude the possibility of the affected parties bringing a civil action to claim whatever they deem appropriate."
Background of the Incident
Jota was returning to England for the start of pre-season by car, having been advised not to fly after undergoing a minor medical procedure. The 28-year-old had just completed a successful season, winning the Premier League title with Liverpool and the Nations League with Portugal. His brother Andre, 25, played for Penafiel in the Portuguese second division and had previously been a youth player at Porto.
The deaths prompted an outpouring of grief from the sporting world. The brothers' funeral was held in their hometown of Gondomar on July 5, with former teammates and coaches in attendance, including Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Family and Tributes
Jota is survived by his wife and childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, whom he had married just two weeks before his death, and their three children: two sons, Dinis and Duarte, and a daughter. Cardoso has since moved back to Gondomar. Liverpool continue to pay tribute to Jota; when they faced his former club Wolves in December, both Dinis and Duarte served as mascots at Anfield.
In his programme notes, Slot wrote: "It is not my place to tell them where they should look for comfort - if that is even possible - but I can only hope that the feeling of love and affection that Diogo still generates brings them some solace."
Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 for a fee of up to £45 million. During his five years at Liverpool, he won three trophies, and his No. 20 shirt was retired by the club following his death.
