Almost six months have passed since the late Liverpool great Jota died in a devastating car crash. ..Continue reading
The ex-Portuguese national team player died alongside his brother, Andre Silva, in the early hours of July 3, a trip they undertook alone as Jota was unable to board a plane due to a recent pulmonary procedure.
Jota, who would have celebrated his 29th birthday on Thursday, had tied the knot with wife Rute Cardoso just 11 days prior to the heartbreaking incident.
The global football community was shocked by the death of such a prominent Premier League figure, and shortly afterwards police revealed the grim details of the event.
The Lamborghini Huracan carrying Jota and his brother left the highway and caught fire.
Due to medical advice not to fly after his operation, Jota opted to drive to Santander, intending to reach England by ferry from Benavente, eventually arriving in Portsmouth.
It is believed that a tire on the vehicle failed while overtaking another car on the A-52, about 70 miles west of Valladolid.
As a result, the vehicle veered off the road around 12:40 am and was consumed by fire shortly afterwards.
Emergency responders, including firefighters and the Civil Guard, managed to extinguish the fire, but it was confirmed that both individuals had died by the time help arrived.
“The investigation into the crash is being carried out by traffic officers of the Guardia Civil,” said a statement from the Guardia Civil in Zamora.
“We believe the car suffered a tire blowout due to the markings on the road. The full police report, once completed, will be submitted to the Zamora court, which has launched an ongoing judicial investigation into this accident.
“That report will take time to complete, probably about four or five days, but possibly longer. At this point it is impossible to say exactly what speed the car was traveling, but that is something the Civil Guard investigators will be able to at least approximately detail in their final report based on things like the skid marks. What I can confirm is that no other vehicle was involved and no one else was injured.”
The extent of the fire damage made it difficult to immediately identify the victims, and in a deeply emotional twist, Jota’s wife Rute had to confirm their identities herself.
Commenting on the change in travel arrangements following Jota’s operation, CNN Portugal’s Rui Laura said: “The operation he had was a lung operation, and he was advised not to fly afterwards.
“He was on his way to the northern Spanish port of Santander to cross the ferry to reach Britain and continue by car once he reached Britain. He was on his way to Liverpool with his brother.”
Jota remained in Portugal after helping his national team win a penalty shootout against Spain in the Nations League final on June 8. A few weeks later he married his long-time partner Rute, with whom he had three young children.
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, now playing for Brentford, attended Jota’s wedding.
What was meant to be a joyful summer for Jota and his loved ones turned into a nightmare overnight.
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