The Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office has charged a San Jose man named Zachary Chernicky with two counts of murder. The man’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 25, 2026, at 1:30 in Department 31 of the Hall of Justice in San Jose, per a County of Santa Clara release. Authorities have charged the man seven months after he crashed his car into another, killing a mother named Ivana Balistreri and her daughter, Lilliana. Balistreri’s fiancé, Zachary Martins, managed to escape, but his efforts to rescue his partner and daughter fell short.
Chernicky allegedly flagrantly exceeded the speed limit on Highway 87. The suspect was driving his Tesla at 142 mph just 15 seconds before the crash, 126 mph just five seconds before, and ultimately at 102 mph when he “plowed into the back of the Lexus that had stopped in traffic,” per the release. The speed limit is merely 62 mph if there is no traffic on the highway.
The suspect sustained minor injuries in the aftermath of the crash
Chernicky allegedly drove his Tesla at dangerously high speeds on a busy morning on the highway. According to reports, the man hit the victim’s car so hard that “both the victim’s car and the car in front of them suffered major fire and crash damage.” Commenting on the incident, District Attorney Jeff Rosen drew upon the fact that the law dictates that it is murder when someone shoots into a crowd.
Rosen noted that when someone drives at a speed that Chernicky was driving at, “then the driver is the shooter and their car is the bullet,” per the release. Balistreri and her daughter could not survive the resulting fire, burning to death, per People. The suspect only suffered minor injuries in the aftermath of the accident. According to the investigative authority, the California Highway Patrol, it is unlikely that Chernicky was driving under the influence, per a Dec. 9, 2025, People report.
The victim’s family struggles to navigate the tremendous loss
The victims were members of a loving Italian family. Balistreri’s sister, Rosie, has told People how Ivana would constantly motivate her to become the best version of herself. Rosie, who suffers from depression, recalled how her sister would call her all the time to ensure she was doing alright and go out on walks with her…