Santa Clara County, CA- A Silicon Valley man who was speeding at over 140 mph in a Tesla on a busy California highway has been charged with murder after his car smashed into the back of a stopped vehicle — killing a young mother and her toddler daughter, who both burned to death in the collision.
Zachary Chernicky, 31, was traveling northbound on Highway 87 in San Jose on the morning of December 2, 2025, when prosecutors say he was clocked at 142 mph — more than twice the posted 65 mph speed limit. Fifteen seconds later, going 102 mph, he plowed into the back of a Lexus driven by Ivana Balistreri, 29, who had stopped in traffic.
The impact was so violent that Balistreri’s vehicle and the car directly in front of her both caught fire. Balistreri and her daughter Lilliana — just 14 days away from her second birthday — were burned to death. Chernicky walked away with minor injuries.
“The law says that it is murder when someone shoots into a crowd. When someone is driving 140 mph, then the driver is the shooter and their car is the bullet.” — District Attorney Jeff Rosen
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that Chernicky has been charged with two counts of murder. He was arraigned last Tuesday and ordered held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 25, and he faces significant prison time if convicted.
Lilliana was described by her family as their “sweet Lilly Bean.” Her mother Ivana was remembered as “one of the purest spirits” her loved ones had ever known. A family member said losing them “destroyed our family in a way words can barely express.”