A 21-year-old Paxton man has been indicted on two counts of second-degree murder in connection with a fiery August crash in North Reading that killed an Andover father and his 8-year-old daughter, prosecutors announced. Matthew Sweeney is also facing two counts of felony motor vehicle homicide, operating under the influence, and operating to endanger, and he is set to be arraigned Wednesday morning in Middlesex Superior Court.
The case against Sweeney has escalated dramatically since the crash, which Hoodline first reported was under investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and State Police after a vehicle slammed into a commercial plaza near Route 28 and North Street. According to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Sweeney was allegedly speeding in an Acura MDX when he crashed into the rear of a Honda HR-V that was stopped at a red light shortly before 11 p.m. that night. The collision caused the Honda to become engulfed in flames, killing 35-year-old Samir Naili and his 8-year-old daughter, Kashmira, despite efforts by first responders and a good Samaritan to save them.
A Chase Before the Crash
Court records show the fatal collision was not Sweeney's only brush with police that night. Before the crash, he was allegedly involved in a separate hit-and-run in Methuen, which prompted an Andover police officer to locate his Acura MDX and pursue him at speeds reaching 100 mph, according to police reports cited by Daily Voice. That sequence — a hit-and-run followed by a high-speed police pursuit — immediately preceded the deadly crash outside the plaza housing Captain Pizza and Route 28 Lucky Mart, where the impact also damaged the plaza's commercial sign, as reported by CBS News. Officers searching Sweeney's vehicle at the scene found two open alcoholic beverage containers and a cup smelling of alcohol, the outlet reported. Sweeney reportedly displayed slurred speech and bloodshot eyes and refused to take field sobriety tests.
Bystanders Describe an Intense Fire
The fire that engulfed the Naili family's Honda HR-V was so severe that bystanders who rushed to help could not free the victims. Reinaldo Demederros, a nearby resident who ran to the scene after hearing the crash, told CBS News that the vehicle was rapidly consumed by flames before rescuers could reach the father and daughter inside.
Kashmira Naili, 8, had been preparing to start third grade at Andover's South Elementary School this fall, Patch reported, underscoring the toll the crash has taken on the local community where the family lived.
Elevated Charges and the Malice Standard
The shift from standard motor vehicle homicide charges to second-degree murder reflects a significant legal escalation. Under Massachusetts model jury instructions, prosecutors seeking a second-degree murder conviction must prove malice aforethought — meaning the defendant intentionally committed an act that a reasonable person would know creates a plain and strong likelihood of death, according to Mass.gov. A conviction carries a sentence of life imprisonment, with parole eligibility after 15 to 25 years.
Prosecutors appear to be leaning on the preceding hit-and-run, the high-speed police pursuit, and the physical evidence of alcohol use to meet that demanding legal threshold in an OUI-related case.
Defense Points to Psychiatric History
Sweeney's defense attorney, Kevin Mahoney, has signaled that his client's mental state will be central to the case. During an August court appearance, Mahoney said Sweeney suffered from a history of lost time and blackouts and had no recollection of the crash or the events of that night, according to CBS News.
Mahoney's disclosures in court also revealed that Sweeney was hospitalized at UMass Memorial in 2024 for bipolar disorder and hospitalized again at St. Vincent Hospital in December 2025, where he stopped taking prescribed psychosis medication due to side effects. Following his initial arraignment in Woburn District Court, a judge ordered Sweeney held on $250,000 cash bail and committed him to Bridgewater State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, Patch reported.
Police arrested and charged Sweeney at the scene of the crash. As the case now heads to Middlesex Superior Court, it remains to be seen whether the psychiatric evaluation will factor into upcoming proceedings or how prosecutors plan to establish the malice required for murder charges in a case rooted in an alleged drunk-driving pursuit. This is a developing story.
