The narrative around the Diogo Jota car crash has been that the Liverpool star was speeding in his Lamborghini when a tyre blew out, causing the crash that killed him and his brother Andre Silva last Thursday.
However, a Portuguese truck driver who filmed the fiery aftermath of the crash has disputed that the Lamborghini was speeding before the tragic accident on the A-52 motorway in Spain.
A preliminary report from Spain’s Guardia Civil police force revealed that Jota was most likely the driver of the car, while evidence from the crash ‘points to a possible excessive speed beyond the speed limit of the road’.
Truck driver Jose Azevedo was travelling along the A-52 when he encountered the burning Lamborghini with Jota and his younger brother inside the vehicle.
He filmed the aftermath as he approached the burning Lamborghini in his truck, then says he tried to put out the flames.
Azevedo insists the Lamborghini did not appear to be exceeding the 120km/h (75mph) speed limit when it passed him on the motorway.
He says: “The truck driver, which was me, filmed it, stopped, grabbed the fire extinguisher and tried to help. I tried to help but due to the impact of the accident, there was nothing I could do, absolutely nothing.
“They passed me completely calmly and were not speeding. You have my word they weren’t speeding. They were completely relaxed.”
“I drive this road Monday through Saturday and I know it’s a terrible place. It’s a dark road. I could see the make and colour of the car.
“I offer my sincere condolences. I have a clear conscience, I know what I saw. Unfortunately, that’s how it ended. I stopped filming, tried to help, but unfortunately, there was nothing I could do.”
If true, that makes the whole thing even more of a tragedy. According to Mr. Azevedo, the Jota brothers were “completely calm and not speeding” when they overtook him. Why would he lie about something like that? He has nothing to gain either way, and I’m sure he gets overtaken plenty of times as a truck driver so has a good idea of what he saw.
Could it be that the Spanish government don’t want to admit that it’s a dodgy road that potentially caused the crash and subsequent fire of a vehicle that was apparently going at moderate speed? It’s possible.
Then again, if you look at the state of the car from the photos of the aftermath, you would assume that only a high-impact crash could cause that kind of devastation. Would such a catastrophe be possible without serious speed? Lambos are cars that are built for speed, after all.
In the end, I suppose it doesn’t change the tragic outcome that has left 3 kids without their dad, a wife without her husband, and two parents without their boys. It’s still absolutely devastating to think about. RIP Diogo and Andre Silva, and thoughts with their friends and family as they continue to deal with their loss.
For the time Dean Gaffney was run over by a Chelsea player in his Lamborghini, click HERE.
