The Spanish judiciary has closed the criminal investigation into the July 2025 road accident that killed former Portugal international Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, ruling there is no evidence of criminal responsibility.
According to sources from the Tribunal Superior de Justiça de Castilla y León cited by The Athletic, the Primera Instancia court in Puebla de Sanabria archived the case last November after reviewing documentary evidence and forensic reports from the Guardia Civil’s Traffic Unit.
The investigation concluded that the Lamborghini the brothers were traveling in suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle at high speed on the A52 near Cernadilla in Zamora province. The loss of control caused the car to strike the central reservation, triggering a fuel leak that led to a fire and explosion.
Diogo Jota, who was 28 at the time, was driving. His brother André Silva, aged 25, was a passenger. Both died at the scene on 3 July 2025.
The court’s decision does not prevent affected parties from pursuing a civil claim for compensation, as noted in the judicial sources’ statement reported by The Athletic.
A Bola highlighted the lingering cultural impact of the tragedy, referencing a mural dedicated to the brothers at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, where Jota played before his move to Saudi Arabia.
Why was no criminal charge brought?
Judicial authorities found no indication of reckless intent, intoxication, or violation of traffic laws beyond speeding, which alone did not meet the threshold for criminal liability under Spanish law in this context.
Could the family still seek compensation?
Yes, the archiving of the criminal case does not bar a civil lawsuit, which the court explicitly noted remains an option for the victims’ relatives to pursue damages.