A closer look at the final journey taken by Diogo Jota and his brother has brought attention to the perilous conditions along Spain’s A-52 highway — riddled with potholes, broken barriers, and roaming wildlife.

The scene of the accident that took Jota’s life.

Reporters from The Sun retraced the route the brothers took in their Lamborghini Huracán, valued at over £210,000, as they drove from the Portuguese border toward the northern Spanish city of Santander. They identified at least 16 kilometers of deteriorating roadway marked by ongoing repairs and poor surface conditions.

Just a few hundred meters from the accident site, two adult deer were spotted calmly grazing near the roadside — highlighting the ever-present threat of wildlife suddenly crossing this densely forested stretch. While initial investigations point to a tire blowout as the likely cause of the crash, authorities have not ruled out the possibility that Jota swerved to avoid an animal, leading to the fatal accident.

This stretch of the A-52 is known for frequent wildlife activity, including deer, Iberian wolves, and large flocks of crows. In the region of Sanabria, where the accident occurred, local records show over 40 complaints just in May regarding road hazards such as deep potholes and loose gravel. One local resident even reported that his vehicle suffered damage in an accident only 5 kilometers from where Jota’s car crashed.

The A-52 cuts through mountainous, forested terrain and has long been labeled a danger zone — a “black spot” for traffic accidents in the Castile and León region. Local residents have called for repairs and safety upgrades for years, to little avail.

Investigators from the Spanish Guardia Civil are continuing their inquiry. The burnt wreckage of the Lamborghini has been removed from the site for forensic examination.