Footballer Diogo Jota passed away on July 3 in a fatal car accident in northwest Spain. He was 28. Diogo's younger brother Andre Silva also lost his life in the tragic accident. According to Spanish media reports, the duo was travelling from Penafiel in Spain when their car went off the road.
As the football world grieves the tragic loss of the Liverpool and Portugal footballer, the accident has drawn comparisons to the 2013 car crash that claimed the life of Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker.
Diogo Jota's death
The footballer's accident took place on the A-52 motorway in Spain's Zamora province. Reportedly, the crash happened when the Lamborghini carrying him and his brother veered off the road following a tyre blowout during an overtaking maneuver.
The car caught fire following the crash, and both of them lost their lives.
Paul Walker's death
The actor tragically died in a car crash on November 30, 2013, in Santa Clarita, California. He was a passenger in a Porsche Carrera GT driven by his friend and business associate Roger Rodas. The car was traveling at high speed, estimated to be around 100 mph (160 km/h), when the driver lost control, and the vehicle crashed into a concrete lamp post and two trees, then burst into flames.
Both Paul (aged 40) and Roger died at the scene. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and coroner's office concluded that speed was the main factor in the crash, and no drugs or alcohol were involved.
Walker was in the middle of filming Fast & Furious 7 at the time, and his sudden death shocked fans worldwide. The film was later completed using his brothers as stand-ins and with CGI, and it was dedicated to his memory.
Netizens react to the haunting similarities
Reacting to the news of Diogo's death, a user wrote on X, "Very sad news it's just like how Paul Walker died."
"Ohhhh, that was a deadly crash man…Felt like watching Paul walker’s crash scene again."
"That’s fair. Speed is a huge factor. I was just thinking about Paul Walker as well. Can’t the car just crash without bursting into flames," read another comment on X.
Meanwhile, football fans have flooded social media platforms with tributes and condolence messages to mourn Diogo's death.
Diogo got married to Rute Cardoso on June 22, just 10 days before he lost his life in the car crash. I
