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.'SLAP ON THE WRIST': ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER'S SENTENCE IGNITES OUTRAGE AFTER CRASH KILLED 3Ivana 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)FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XThe 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 int...