SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — When Ivana Balistreri and her baby were trapped inside a “fireball,” a Tesla driver who had just crashed into the victims’ car on Highway 87 in San Jose complained about his scraped knee and did nothing to help, according to new court documents filed by prosecutors. The 30-year-old mother and Baby Lilliana did not make it out of their Lexus alive.
The driver, Zachary Steven Chernicky, 31, of San Jose, “turned his car into a literal bomb” when he drove between 100-142 mph on Highway 87 and plowed into heavy traffic on December 2, 2025, prosecutors wrote in court documents.
Following the fiery fatal wreck, Chernicky got a new Tesla and showed off how fast it could go in a series of videos posted on Instagram, court records state. Investigators conducted a months-long investigation before making any arrests…