The Brief
- Prosecutors say 31-year-old Zachary Chernicky was driving more than 140 mph when his Tesla crashed into three vehicles on Highway 87 in December 2025.
- Ivana Balistreri, 29, and her 1-year-old daughter, Lilliana, died after the Lexus they were riding in caught fire. Lilliana was two weeks shy of her second birthday.
- Chernicky was arrested Monday, about seven months after the crash, and is due back in court on Aug. 24.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – A San Jose man was driving more than 140 mph when his Tesla slammed into multiple vehicles on Highway 87, causing a fiery crash that killed a mother and her toddler daughter, authorities said.
Zachary Chernicky, 31, was arrested Monday, about seven months after the December 2025 crash, after investigators determined he was responsible for the collision.
He is scheduled to return to court Aug. 24.
Prosecutors: Speed, not the vehicle, caused the crash
What they’re saying:…