The tragic car accident that claimed the lives of Liverpool football star Diogo Jota and his younger brother André Silva on July 3, 2025, has taken a dramatic turn. Spanish authorities, led by the Guardia Civil’s traffic division in Zamora, have uncovered a critical piece of evidence at the crash site that has sent shockwaves through the football world and beyond. An object found tightly clutched in Jota’s hand during the post-mortem examination has revealed an astonishing truth that no one anticipated, prompting investigators to re-evaluate the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

The Tragic Incident

The accident occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, Zamora, close to Spain’s border with Portugal. Jota, 28, and his brother André, 26, were traveling in a light-green Lamborghini Huracán when the vehicle veered off the road, rolled, and burst into flames. The intense fire consumed much of the car, complicating initial efforts to identify the remains and determine the cause of the crash. Early reports suggested a tyre blowout during an overtaking maneuver, with excessive speed as a possible contributing factor. The Spanish Civil Guard’s preliminary findings, released on July 8, indicated that Jota was likely driving and that the vehicle may have exceeded the 120 km/h (74.5 mph) speed limit on the highway.

However, new evidence has emerged that challenges the initial narrative and raises questions about the true cause of the accident. The discovery of an object in Jota’s possession has shifted the focus of the investigation, revealing a previously overlooked detail that could rewrite the story of that fateful night.

A Mysterious Object Uncovered

During the forensic examination of the crash site and the victims’ remains in Puebla de Sanabria, investigators made a startling discovery. Tightly clutched in Diogo Jota’s hand was a small, metallic device, later identified as a GPS tracking unit. The device, though partially damaged by the fire, was intact enough for forensic experts to extract critical data. Initial analysis revealed that the GPS unit was actively transmitting the car’s location and speed at the time of the crash, providing a detailed log of the vehicle’s movements in the moments leading up to the tragedy.

The data recovered from the device showed that the Lamborghini was traveling at a speed of approximately 110 km/h, well within the legal limit for the A-52 motorway. This finding directly contradicts earlier police reports that suggested Jota was speeding excessively. Furthermore, the GPS log indicated that the vehicle had been maintaining a steady course until a sudden deviation, consistent with a tyre blowout, occurred just seconds before the crash.

The discovery of the GPS tracker has raised eyebrows among investigators, as it is not a standard feature in a Lamborghini Huracán. Questions have arisen about why Jota was in possession of such a device and who might have placed it in the vehicle. The Guardia Civil is now exploring the possibility that the tracker was installed without Jota’s knowledge, potentially pointing to external involvement in the events leading up to the crash.

Conflicting Eyewitness Accounts

Adding to the complexity of the investigation, two lorry drivers who witnessed the crash have come forward with statements that challenge the police’s initial conclusions. Jose Azevedo, a truck driver who filmed the burning wreckage and was among the first to arrive at the scene, has adamantly denied that Jota’s car was speeding. “I filmed it, stopped, tried to help, but unfortunately, there was nothing I could do,” Azevedo told Portuguese tabloid Correio da Manhã. “My conscience is clear. I give my word to the family: they weren’t speeding.” Azevedo also criticized the condition of the A-52 motorway, describing it as “dark, dangerous, and poorly maintained.”

A second witness, Jose Aleixo Duarte, claimed to have been overtaken by Jota’s car five minutes before the crash and described its speed as “moderate.” Duarte echoed Azevedo’s concerns about the road’s condition, noting that it was in a “bad state” and prone to accidents. He referenced a separate incident eight days earlier, in which a 60-year-old woman was seriously injured in a crash at the same kilometer point on the A-52, suggesting that road conditions may have played a significant role in both accidents.

These eyewitness accounts, combined with the GPS data, have prompted investigators to shift their focus from driver error to potential external factors, including the condition of the road and the origins of the mysterious GPS tracker.

A Deeper Investigation

The Guardia Civil’s forensic team is now conducting a thorough analysis of the GPS tracker to determine its origin and purpose. Preliminary findings suggest that the device was a high-end model, typically used for covert tracking or fleet management, raising the possibility that it was placed in the car by a third party. Investigators are exploring several theories, including whether the device was installed by someone seeking to monitor Jota’s movements, possibly for reasons unrelated to the crash itself.

The condition of the A-52 motorway has also come under scrutiny. Spanish road safety expert Javier Lopez Delgado, president of the Spanish Association of Road Safety Auditors (ASEVI), has pointed to “multiple factors” contributing to the crash, including the road’s poor maintenance. “You can clearly see it had many faults,” Lopez Delgado told The Mirror. “If they had been going at 55 mph, they probably wouldn’t have been killed.”

The investigation has also revealed that Jota and his brother were traveling to Santander to catch a ferry to England, as Jota had been advised against flying due to a recent lung procedure. This detail has added a layer of poignancy to the tragedy, as Jota was preparing to return to Liverpool for pre-season training after celebrating his wedding to Rute Cardoso just 11 days earlier.

A Community in Mourning

The discovery of the GPS tracker has intensified the grief and shock felt by Jota’s family, friends, and the global football community. Tributes have poured in from across the world, with Liverpool fans leaving flowers, scarves, and shirts outside Anfield Stadium in memory of the beloved forward, known as “Jota the slotter” for his clinical finishing. Liverpool Football Club issued a statement expressing their devastation and requesting privacy for Jota and André’s family, including Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three young children.

At the brothers’ funeral in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto, Liverpool players Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carried floral arrangements in the shape of football shirts bearing Jota’s number 20 and André’s number 30. Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who played alongside Jota in the national team, wrote on social media, “It doesn’t make sense. Just now we were together in the national team, just now you were married. Rest in peace, Diogo and André.”

Unanswered Questions

As the investigation continues, the discovery of the GPS tracker has opened up new avenues of inquiry. Was the device planted by someone with malicious intent, or was it part of a routine security measure that Jota himself was aware of? Could the poor condition of the A-52 motorway have exacerbated the effects of the tyre blowout, turning a manageable situation into a deadly one? And why was such a sophisticated tracking device in Jota’s possession at the time of the crash?

The Guardia Civil has promised to release a finalized report to the court in Puebla de Sanabria once all evidence has been analyzed. For now, the football world remains in mourning, grappling with the loss of a talented player and a devoted family man whose life was cut short under mysterious circumstances. The object clutched in Diogo Jota’s hand has not only revealed an unexpected truth but has also deepened the tragedy, leaving investigators and fans alike searching for answers in the wake of an unimaginable loss.