THE road Diogo Jota was killed on is “very dangerous” and notorious for accidents, according to local officials and drivers.
Evil high-speed bends and deep potholes have spelled disaster for many motorists – with just-married Jota and his brother André, 26 its latest tragic victims.
Liverpool star Jota, 28, was killed late on Wednesday night when a tyre on his Lamborghini blew out and the car hurtled off the road, catching fire.
The brothers were travelling through Zamora, Spain on the A-52 towards Santander, where they were to catch a ferry to the UK.
A chorus of officials and local drivers have now spoken out to warn about the perils of that particular high-speed dual carriageway.
Angel Blanco, a central government representative for the province of Zamora, described the A-52 as “very dangerous”.
What we know so far:
Sources from Cernadilla town hall, close to where Diogo crashed, were quoted by local press as saying: “As [the A-52] passes through Cernadilla it is full of bends at 120 kilometres per hour.
“Poor visibility at night tend is often the cause of accidents in these areas.
“Today it was two famous footballers, who had a great career ahead of them, but perhaps tomorrow the victims will be two more anonymous people.”
The A-52 is the most dangerous road in the region, according to most recent annual accident report.
There were more crashes along the route than any other nearby road, with a total of 19 in 2023, El Dia de Zamora reported.
And the accidents are often fatal – with an average of 1.5 deaths per incident.
Many of the crashes happen under good conditions – meaning a dry surface, good visibility and low traffic – suggesting the road itself poses danger.
Drivers must contend with various obstacles along the stretch – including animals.
The area where Jota’s Lamborghini Huracan flew off the tarmac is a black-spot for wolves.
That region of Zamora is described as a “paradise” for the Ibernian wolf – and car collisions with the predators are not uncommon.
Deer are also common, and easy access to the for the animals poses a huge risk to drivers, according to Spanish newspaper La Razón.
Complaints have been lodged about the poor safety conditions of the road to various organisations.
In recent years, reports were filed to motorists’ organisation AEA Club drawing attention to the treacherous potholes which “riddled” the roadsurface.
One said: “The A-52 highway […] is in poor condition with constant potholes, some of which are very dangerous,” adding that the issue applied to the road in both directions.
There were more than 40 official pothole complaints made to Spain’s transport ministry in a single month last year, according to local site La Opinión de Zamora.
One family published a photo of a tyre that had been completely shredded by one of the hazards.
A burst tyre is thought to be behind Jota’s crash – though it isn’t known what caused it.
Photos from the scene show a single black tyre mark streaking into the verge.
A separate 2018 complaint said a lack of signage almost caused a driver to crash because it failed to alert them an imminent lane ending.
The driver wrote: “A-52 is a state-of-the-art motorway and doesn’t deserve this safety flaw. Do a few cans of paint cost that much?”
Jota was due to catch a ferry this morning after being advised not to take a plane due to a recent lung surgery, according to CNN Portugal.
The Portuguese ace had missed several matches last season after suffering a rib injury in October during a match against Chelsea.
Jota was due to return to Liverpool to take part in the club’s pre season games which start later this month.
Emergency crews rushed to the crash site in the early hours of the morning and managed to put out the flames.
Both brothers were tragically pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Zamora Provincial Council.
Their bodies were taken to a forensics unit in Zamora so autopsies could be performed.
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