Mom, Baby Killed In Highway Fireball In Bay Area But Driver Kept Speeding: Report

SAN JOSE, CA — A San Jose man accused of killing a mother and her 1-year-old daughter in a fiery crash did nothing to help the victims after the collision and continued driving at high speeds in the months that followed, according to a report by KRON4.

Zachary Steven Chernicky, 31, is charged with the murders of 30-year-old Ivana Balistreri and her daughter, Baby Lilliana, who died when Chernicky's Tesla slammed into their Lexus on Highway 87 in San Jose on Dec. 2, 2025, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office.

Chernicky was driving more than 140 mph shortly before the crash, according to a motion filed by prosecutors opposing his release from jail, KRON4 reported.

Witnesses told prosecutors they saw Chernicky driving recklessly and possibly racing another vehicle before he crashed into heavy traffic. The collision ignited the Lexus in an instant trapping Balistreri and her daughter inside a "fireball," prosecutors told KRON4.

The Lexus driver, Zachary Martins, and other motorists tried to rescue the mother and child, but were unable to reach them because of the flames and explosions, prosecutors said.

Chernicky, meanwhile, escaped his Tesla with minor injuries, the report stat.

“He did not attempt to render aid to anyone,” prosecutors wrote in the motion, according to KRON4.

Chernicky was arrested in July and has remained in custody without entering a plea. His attorney is scheduled to ask a judge to release him on bail Sept. 18.

Prosecutors are opposing his release, arguing that his conduct after the crash raises additional public-safety concerns.

Within a day of the crash, Chernicky posted a photo of the wreckage on Instagram and wrote that he was thankful to be alive, according to KRON4. Prosecutors noted that the post focused on the destruction of his Tesla and did not mention the mother and child who died.

Court records also stated that Chernicky later posted videos of himself driving at high speeds in Teslas and sports cars, the news outlet reported.

Prosecutors said he also discussed potentially moving to Florida or taking a job in Paris, which they cited as a reason he could be a flight risk if released.

Family members of Balistreri and her daughter have urged the judge to keep Chernicky jailed, according to KRON4.

One relative told the court that Chernicky stood near the crash scene, complained about his knee and used his phone while others attempted to rescue the victims.

Chernicky's bail hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 18 at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice.

Read the full story at KRON4.