Driver who reached 142 mph in San Jose crash charged with double murder
A 31-year-old San Jose man, Zachary Chernicky, is charged with two counts of murder after a December 2, 2025 crash on northbound Highway 87 near Curtner Avenue that killed a mother, Ivana Balistreri, and her 2-year-old daughter Lilliana. Prosecutors say he was driving a Tesla at 142 mph 15 seconds before impact, 126 mph five seconds before, and 102 mph at impact, with three vehicles bursting into flames; Chernicky was arrested, arraigned, and remanded without bail, with a court date set for Aug. 25.
