Diogo Jota and his brother were both killed in a car crash in north-western Spain on Thursday morning, with the road they were on known for being in treacherous condition
10:18, 04 Jul 2025
A52 motorway entrance in Galicia, Spain
The road where Diogo Jota died is one of the most dangerous in the Spanish region of Zamora(Image: Getty)
The road where Diogo Jota and his brother tragically lost their lives in a car accident has a reputation for being one of the most hazardous in the region.
The Liverpool forward, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 26, were killed in the early hours of Thursday morning on the A-52 at Cernadilla, near Zamora in north-western Spain. Initial police statements claimed the Lamborghini they were traveling in lost control after a suspected tire blowout during an overtaking manoeuvre, veering off the road before bursting into flames.
The two football stars were travelling through Zamora to Santander, where they planned to take a ferry to the UK ahead of pre-season for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. It has now become clear that the A-52, referred to as the Rias Bajas, is infamous for being one of the deadliest highways.
Built in 1998, it has been plagued by more accidents than any other route in the region, leading Angel Blanco, the central government representative for Zamora province, to describe it as "very dangerous".
In 2023 alone, there were 19 accidents on the dual carriageway, which is full of high-speed bends, with an average of 1.5 deaths per incident. According to Cope, most of these crashes occurred during optimal driving conditions, such as dry road surfaces, clear visibility, smooth traffic flow and daylight.
However, visibility is said to be poor there at night, while the road running through mountainous and forested areas means the area also suffers from recurrent fog spells. Thousands of vehicles travel on the A-52 daily but data shows that a large number of accidents occur on the straight, high-speed stretches, where a single mistake can be fatal.
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Diogo Jota with wife Ruth and his children at Anfield after lifting the Premier League trophy in May
Diogo Jota with wife Rute and his children at Anfield after lifting the Premier League trophy in May(Image: Instagram)
The primary causes of accidents in the area are distractions, lack of attention and overconfidence, although it has not been confirmed if these factors contributed at all to the brothers' crash.
The area where the Liverpool star went off the road is also a known hotspot for wolves, according to La Razon. The presence of Iberian wolves as well as deer poses a significant risk of serious accidents due to the lack of fencing and the deterioration of wildlife crossings, allowing wild animals easy access to the motorway.
Highway A-52 in the valley of Monterrei and Verin. Autumn landscape seen November 11, 2018, Galicia,Spain.
The A-52 highway's high-speed bends is one of several reasons why there are so many accidents there(Image: Getty)
La Voz de Galicia reports that the A-52 is not the only road in the province of Zamora where wolf accidents are common. The animal is also abundant in the corridor between Benavente and Orense via Sanabria (N-525 and A-52), the N-630 between Benavente and Montamarta, the N-631 between Montamarta and Rionegro del Puente and the N-122 between Zamora and Portugal via Aliste, in addition to other secondary roads.
Reports were also filed in recent years to motorists' organisation AEA Club drawing attention to the treacherous potholes that "riddled" the road surface. There were no fewer than 40 official pothole complaints made to Spain's transport ministry in a single month last year, according to local news outlet La Opinión de Zamora.
One family shared a photo of a tyre that had been significantly damaged by one of the hazards. In 2018, another complaint highlighted a near-miss which came due to insufficient signage that failed to warn a driver about a lane ending.
The site of the car accident in which Diogo Jota and his brother died in the north-western city of Zamora, Spain
The site of the car accident in which Diogo Jota and his brother died in the north-western city of Zamora, Spain(Image: AP)
It's understood that Jota was travelling to Santander to catch a ferry back to the UK on Thursday morning, having been advised against flying following recent lung surgery. The Portugal international missed several matches last season after suffering a rib injury during a game against Chelsea in October.
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Emergency services were called to the crash site, where the fire had spread to nearby vegetation. Despite successfully extinguishing the flames, the two brothers were declared dead at the scene.
The funerals are scheduled for 10am on Saturday in their hometown of Gondomar, close to the Portuguese city of Porto.