Former Premier League star Eljero Elia has revealed his shock after being involved in a serious three-car crash on a Dutch motorway which destroyed his £270,000 Lamborghini.
Elia, 38, was involved in the crash on the A4 motorway near Leiden in the Netherlands on Saturday evening around 9.45pm.
The former winger, who had a brief spell at Southampton in 2015, claimed to Dutch newspaper Omreop West that the car in front of him ‘suddenly stopped’ on the motorway.
Elia, who had been driving a £270,000 Lamborghini Urus, said his vehicle ‘skidded’ as he attempted to stop. He added that the car in front had not put on its hazard lights despite suddenly braking.
‘The traffic in front of me suddenly stopped; I couldn’t brake in time,’ he said.
‘I was driving in a stretch of road that’s normally quiet around that time. Suddenly, I saw the traffic in front of me brake and come to a standstill. I tried to brake, but I skidded.
Former Premier League star Eljero Elia was involved in a serious car crash on Saturday
Elia’s £270,000 Lamborghini Urus suffered significant damage in a three-car crash
The 38-year-old said the crash on the motorway occurred after a car ‘suddenly stopped’ in front of him and his car ‘skidded’ as he attempted to brake
‘The only thing I could do was avoid hitting the car directly behind me. I steered past it a bit, which caused me to hit it more on the side.’
The crash, which involved three cars, led to the motorway being closed for several hours as police conducted an investigation and debris was cleared.
The heavily damaged cars were taken away by tow trucks following the crash.
Reports in the Netherlands stated that at least one driver was arrested and taken to the police station following the crash, while Elia reportedly also got into a police van.
Elia confirmed that nobody had been injured in the crash, with only cars damaged, while confirming he had spoken to police about the circumstances of the crash.
‘There’s only damage to the cars, that’s it,’ Elia said. It could have been worse, anyway.
‘Everyone was shocked.
‘I told them [the police] what happened and then I went home.’
Eljero Elia played 17 times for Southampton and scored twice in a win over Newcastle in 2015
Elia later took to Instagram to reassure fans, writing ‘Everyone healthy and well got out of the recent situation. God is great.’
Elia retired from professional football in 2022 after a second spell at ADO Den Haag, where he had also made his professional debut.
His career included spells at Twente, Hamburg, Juventus, Werder Bremen, Feyenoord, Istanbul Basaksehir and Utrecht.
Elia played 17 times for Southampton in 2015 and scored twice in a 2-1 win over Newcastle, which would prove his only goals for the club.
The 38-year-old, who represented the Dutch national team 30 times, now works as an assistant coach for ADO Den Haag’s Under-21 side.
