Prosecutors say the car was traveling 142 mph shortly before striking a Lexus stopped in heavy San Jose traffic.
SAN JOSE, CA. — A San Jose man has been charged with two counts of murder after prosecutors said he drove a Tesla at 142 mph before crashing into a stopped vehicle and killing a mother and her young daughter on Highway 87.
Zachary Chernicky, 31, was arrested July 13 following a months-long California Highway Patrol investigation into the Dec. 2, 2025, collision, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. He was arraigned the next day and ordered held without bail. The charges are allegations, and Chernicky has not been convicted.
Prosecutors said data from Chernicky’s Tesla showed it was traveling 142 mph about 15 seconds before the crash. The vehicle was moving at 126 mph five seconds before impact and at 102 mph when it struck the back of a Lexus that had stopped in traffic, the district attorney’s office said. The posted speed limit on that part of the highway is 65 mph.
The collision happened about 10:40 a.m. in the northbound lanes of Highway 87 near Curtner Avenue. Ivana Balistreri and her daughter, Lilliana, were passengers in the Lexus and died after the crash, authorities said. The district attorney’s office described Balistreri as 30 and Lilliana as 2.
The force of the impact pushed the Lexus into another vehicle, prosecutors said. Chernicky’s Tesla, the Lexus and another Tesla involved in the collision caught fire. The Lexus driver was hospitalized, while Chernicky suffered minor injuries, according to authorities. A fourth vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, also was involved.
The crash closed the highway’s northbound lanes for several hours as firefighters, medical crews and investigators worked at the scene. In reports released soon after the collision, the California Highway Patrol said drugs and alcohol did not appear to have been factors. Investigators continued gathering evidence, including vehicle data, before seeking Chernicky’s arrest.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said prosecutors filed murder charges because of the extreme speed alleged in the case. “The law says that it is murder when someone shoots into a crowd,” Rosen said in a statement. “When someone is driving 140 mph, then the driver is the shooter and their car is the bullet.”
A murder charge requires prosecutors to prove more than careless or negligent driving. The district attorney’s office must prove the allegations in court beyond a reasonable doubt. Authorities have not publicly detailed Chernicky’s defense or said whether he entered a plea during his first court appearance.
Balistreri’s relatives identified the mother and child publicly after the crash and established an online fundraiser for funeral and legal expenses. Family members remembered Lilliana as a joyful child and described the deaths as a devastating loss. The fundraiser had collected more than $100,000 by the time prosecutors announced the charges.
Chernicky remained in custody without bail following his arraignment. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 25 in San Jose, when the case is expected to continue through the pretrial process.
Author note: Last updated July 19, 2026.