Mom, daughter identified as victims in San Jose Highway 87 crash
Mom, daughter killed in fiery Highway 37 wreck
A mother, Ivana Balistreri, and her daughter, Lilliana, were killed in a fiery multi-vehicle crash Tuesday on Highway 87 in San Jose.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A mother and her toddler daughter were killed in a fiery crash on Highway 87 in San Jose earlier this week.
Relatives told KTVU that the victims who died in Tuesday's crash were Ivana Balistreri, 29, and her daughter, 1-year-old Lilliana Balistreri.
They said the young woman had just gotten engaged to her fiancé and their daughter Lilliana's birthday was two weeks away on December 16.
Ivana Balistreri and her toddler daughter, Lilliana, were killed in a crash on Highway 87 in San Jose on Tuesday.
The family has launched an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.
"Losing them has destroyed our family in a way words can barely express. Two bright, innocent, loving souls were taken from us far too soon," the family wrote.
Family remembers victims
What they're saying:
Loved ones described Ivana Balistreri as kind, gentle, and full of life.
"Ivana was truly one of the purest spirits we have ever known," the familly said. "To lose someone so young, so pure, and so unbelievably special feels unbearably unfair."
They said baby Lilliana, affectionately called "Lilly Bean," brought immense joy in her short life.
"Her smile, her sweetness, and her light will stay with us forever," they said.
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Crash involved multiple vehicles
The backstory:
The crash occurred around 11:09 a.m. on northbound Highway 87 just north of Curtner Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. For reasons still under investigation, four vehicles, two Teslas, a Lexus, and a Toyota, collided.
CHP said both Teslas and the Lexus caught fire. Video from the scene showed three charred vehicles in the middle of the highway.
The Lexus was carrying three people, including Balistreri and Lilliana, who was in a child safety seat in the back. The driver of the Lexus, Balistreri's fiancé, was taken to a hospital, but his condition has not been disclosed.
Relatives said Balistreri and her daughter were trapped in the car as the woman's fiancé tried to get to them. They shared a video of a man who appears to be Balistreri's fiancé running around the burning vehicle while trying to free them.
Balistreri and Lilliana died at the scene.
Man tries to save trapped woman, baby in burning car
Video shows a man trying to free a trapped a woman and baby from a burning vehicle on Highway 87 in San Jose. The woman and child were later pronounced dead.
Investigation continues
Another driver involved in the collision was also transported to a hospital, and their condition is unknown. The driver of the Toyota remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
"That involved party did remain at the scene and provided all information and then was released, and was able to drive away," said CHP Officer Ross Lee.
The cause of the crash remains unclear. CHP officials said it does not appear that drugs or alcohol were factors.
The Source: Information for this story comes from interviews with relatives of the victims, along with previous reporting.