San Jose family shares loss of mother, baby killed in highway 4-car crash: 'Life was ripped away'

Tragedy Strikes on San Jose Freeway, Claiming Lives of Mother and Infant Daughter

A devastating four-car crash on Highway 87 in San Jose has left a community reeling after claiming the lives of 29-year-old Ivana Balistreri and her one-year-old daughter, Lilliana. The family, who hailed from a big Sicilian family, is struggling to cope with the senseless loss.

Ivana's fiancΓ© was driving on Tuesday morning when he lost control of his vehicle, which collided with three other cars. According to eyewitnesses, flames erupted immediately after the crash, and the victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Two others were injured in the accident.

The family has been left shattered by Ivana's passing. Her sister, Francesca Alexander, described her as a "light" who "lit up every room she walked into." She also highlighted Ivana's kind nature, saying, "Everything felt like it was falling into place for her and then her life was ripped away."

Ivana, who had just gotten engaged in October, was set to celebrate her daughter's second birthday. Lilliana was the first baby in the family in 18 years, and Ivanas cousin, Ilenia Balistreri, described her as "the first girl" who broke a family curse. The loss has left many feeling numb, with Ilenia stating that they want to celebrate Ivana's life by wearing bright colors and flowers instead of mourning in black.

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the cause of the crash, which has raised questions about road safety and how such incidents can be prevented. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.

Ivana's father, Aurelio Balistreri, expressed his grief by saying that Ivana was like a "baby" who needed him to take her to work every day. Her cousin, Alexia Balistreri, described Ivana as a gentle and beautiful soul who loved movies and the 1970s.

The outpouring of support for the family has been overwhelming, with many taking to social media to share their condolences. The community is coming together to mourn the loss of a young life that was cut short in an instant.

As the investigation into the crash continues, one thing is clear: Ivana's passing has left a deep scar on the lives of those who knew and loved her. Her memory will be cherished by those who had the privilege of sharing their lives with her, and may she rest in peace.
 
Wow πŸš¨πŸ’” this is just so sad, can't imagine how painful it must be for Ivana's family to lose her and her little girl like that πŸ’€πŸ‘Ά. It's like they were living this dream life after 18 years without a girl... 😒 what a cruel twist of fate πŸ’”.
 
πŸš—πŸ’” this is so sad what happened to ivanas family esp that 1-year-old liliana 😭 they should get the help they need ASAP πŸ’• the gofundme page looks like a good idea πŸ‘ but we gotta make sure these kinda accidents dont happen again πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ
 
man this is just heartbreaking πŸ˜” ivana and liliana were so young and full of life its like they just got here and now theyre gone its not right that their parents have to deal with this kind of pain ... the family sounds so close knit and loving it wouldnt be the same if it was some random stranger who lost their lives in an accident... anyway just a reminder to all of us to stay safe on the roads and look out for each other πŸš—πŸ’•
 
πŸš—πŸ˜± this is just heartbreaking... a whole family torn apart by senseless tragedy - 29 & 1 yr old, engaged, with a baby on the way... what's even more devastating is that they were meant to celebrate Lilliana's second bday πŸŽ‚πŸ’”. Ivana's story has already brought so many ppl together, sharing their love & condolences online πŸ’•. let's hope her memory lives on & we can all learn from this to make roads safer πŸš—πŸ’‘
 
Umm this is so sad 😭 Ivana and Lilliana were like two peas in a pod, that little baby's smile lit up the whole world 🌞. I cant even imagine how hard it must be for Ivana's family to deal with this loss πŸ’”πŸ˜’. And on her wedding day too! October was supposed to be all about love and happiness, now its all about grief and sadness πŸ˜”. The community is coming together which is really nice, a GoFundMe page has been set up for the funeral expenses πŸ€‘. I hope they can find some comfort in all the support they're getting πŸ’•. Rest in peace Ivana and Lilliana you will be deeply missed πŸ’—.
 
man that's such a tragedy πŸ€•, i feel so bad for ivana and liliana, it's just not fair that they were taken away from us like that 😒. my heart goes out to their fam, especially francesca and aurelio, they must be going through the worst time of their lives right now πŸ’”. i'm all about supporting our community, so setting up a gofundme page is a great idea πŸŽ‰. as for the california highway patrol, i hope they get to the bottom of it and find out what caused that accident so they can prevent others from going through the same thing in the future πŸ”. anyway, let's keep those who loved ivana in our thoughts and hearts ❀️, she was an amazing person and a beautiful soul πŸ’–
 
🚨 This news is absolutely devastating 😭. My heart goes out to Ivana's family, especially Lilliana's loss of a tiny life at such a young age. It's just not fair πŸ’”. The fact that it happened on the freeway makes me think about how many lives are lost every year due to reckless driving πŸš—πŸ’₯. How can we prevent these accidents from happening in the first place? πŸ€” Safety measures need to be taken seriously, and our roads should be designed with safety in mind πŸŒ†. It's heartbreaking to see a young family torn apart by such a tragic event πŸ’”. The outpouring of support is lovely, but I wish Ivana could have lived to celebrate her daughter's second birthday πŸŽ‚. My thoughts are with the Balistreri family during this unbearable time 😞.
 
This is such a heartbreaking news πŸ€•. It's just not right that a young life like Lilliana's was cut short like this. The family's story is so beautiful too - it's clear Ivana was an amazing person who loved unconditionally πŸ’–. I love how her sister Francesca is taking the lead in planning a celebration of Ivana's life instead of mourning in black, that's such a lovely gesture πŸŒΌπŸ’. The outpouring of support on social media has been amazing, it's clear she was a beloved member of the community πŸ€—. I do hope the California Highway Patrol gets to the bottom of this and finds out what happened so that no one else has to go through this πŸ’‘.
 
OMG 🀯 29-yr-old Ivana & her 1-yr-old daughter Lilliana passed away in a devastating car crash on Highway 87 in San Jose 😱 4 cars involved, 2 others injured. Ivana was just engaged & had the whole world to explore with her little one πŸ’” The GoFundMe page is flooded with donations, shows how much love & support she had from family & friends πŸ€‘

Accident stats: πŸš—οΈ 29-yr-old female fatality, 1-yr-old infant fatality, 2 other injuries. Causes of fatal crashes often involve speeding, reckless driving, or vehicle maintenance issues πŸ“Š According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), in 2022, there were over 38,000 fatalities on US roads πŸš—οΈ

Did you know? πŸ€” The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the cause of the crash. It's essential to report any suspicious activity or vehicle issues to prevent such incidents from happening again πŸ” Here's a rough estimate of how much people spend on funeral expenses in the US: $7,000 - $10,000 πŸ’Έ
 
omg i'm literally sobbing over here 🀯 i feel so bad for ivana's family & friends they're going thru such a tough time rn 😩 it's just not fair that she & lil lilliana had to go through that tragic accident πŸ’” ivana was only 29 and her daughter was only 1, like what even is life 😭 i hope the investigation finds out what happened so they can get some closure β€οΈπŸš— RIP ivana & lil lilliana πŸŒΌπŸ’•
 
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