A San Jose driver has been arrested and charged with murder following a fiery crash that killed a mother and her young child on Highway 87 late last year.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, 31-year-old Zachary Chernicky was arraigned Tuesday on two counts of murder in connection with the multi-vehicle crash, which took place on the morning of Dec. 2, 2025 north of Curtner Avenue. A fire following the collision burned two Teslas and a Lexus.
According to the CHP, an adult and a juvenile who were inside the Lexus died in the collision. The family identified the victims as 29-year-old Ivana Balisteri and Lilliana, her 1-year-old daughter…