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A Silicon Valley software developer and startup founder has been charged with murder after prosecutors say he drove his Tesla at more than 140 mph before plowing into stopped traffic on a California highway, triggering a fiery crash that killed a mother and her young daughter.
Zachary Chernicky, 31, has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the Dec. 2, 2025, crash in San Jose, California.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office alleges data recovered during the investigation shows Chernicky was driving 142 mph 15 seconds before impact, 126 mph five seconds before impact and still moving at about 102 mph when his Tesla slammed into a Lexus stopped in traffic.
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Ivana Balistreri holds her daughter, Lilliana, in a family photo before the pair were killed in a December 2025 crash in San Jose, California. (Credit KTVU)
Chernicky was arraigned Tuesday, ordered held without bail and is scheduled to return to court Aug. 25.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said the July 13 arrest followed a “comprehensive investigation” conducted in coordination with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, adding that it hopes the arrest “represents an important step toward the justice the victims’ family deserves as they continue to grieve.”
“The law says that it is murder when someone shoots into a crowd,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “When someone is driving 140 mph, then the driver is the shooter and their car is the bullet.”
Ivana Balistreri and her daughter, Lilliana, pose together in the snow before they were killed in a fiery Highway 87 crash, authorities said. (Credit KTVU)
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The Lexus burst into flames after being struck, killing front-seat passenger Ivana Balistreri, 29, and her 1-year-old daughter, Lilliana. KTVU in San Francisco reported that Lilliana was strapped into a child safety seat behind Balistreri. Lilliana died just two weeks before her second birthday.
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California Highway Patrol officers arrest Zachary Chernicky on July 13, 2026, in connection with a fatal Highway 87 crash that killed a mother and her young daughter, authorities said. (California Highway Patrol)
Authorities said Balistreri’s fiancé, who was driving the Lexus, survived the crash.
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CHP said Chernicky’s Tesla also struck another Tesla and a Toyota. Three of the vehicles caught fire.
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Prosecutors emphasized that the criminal case centers on Chernicky’s alleged speed — not the vehicle he was driving.
An aerial view shows the aftermath of a fatal crash on Highway 87 in San Jose, California, that left multiple vehicles burned. Prosecutors allege a Tesla traveling more than 140 mph triggered the collision. (Credit KTVU)
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“I’ve seen some coverage of this incident that says things like, ‘Tesla crash kills a family,’ but that headline misses the point,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Marisa McKeown said in remarks reported by KTVU. “The Tesla didn’t cause this crash. Chernicky did by driving over 140 miles per hour.”
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A publicly available professional profile identifies Chernicky as the founder of CHURRDJ, a San Jose startup developing software for Pioneer DJ equipment. The profile states he previously worked in technical support roles at Apple, Gong, Glean and AI company Mistral AI.
The aftermath of a Dec. 2, 2025, crash on California Highway 87 in San Jose, where prosecutors allege Zachary Chernicky was driving more than 140 mph before his Tesla slammed into stopped traffic. (California Highway Patrol)
Fox News Digital has reached out to Apple, Gong, Glean and Mistral AI to verify Chernicky’s employment history and request comment, and to the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s office.
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CHP also used the case to warn motorists about the dangers of excessive speed.
“Do not speed. Speeding costs lives,” the agency said. “CHP will hold reckless drivers accountable.”
