WOBURN, Mass. — A 21-year-old man arrested in connection with a fiery car wreck in North Reading that left a father and daughter from Andover dead over the weekend faced a judge on Monday.
Matthew Sweeney, of Paxton, appeared in Woburn District Court, where he faces charges including two counts of motor vehicle homicide, operating under the influence, operating to endanger, and speeding in connection with the deaths of 35-year-old Samir Naili and 8-year-old Kashmira Naili.
A plea of not guilty was entered on behalf of Sweeney, who was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before returning to court for a bail hearing.
Once court returned, the forensic psychologist informed the judge that further evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital would be recommended.
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The crash happened shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Route 28 and North Street.
Sweeney was allegedly speeding in an Acura MDX when he crashed into the back of a Honda HR-V that was stopped at a red light, causing it to become engulfed in flames, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
First responders and a good Samaritan tried to save the victims, later identified as Samir and Kashmira, but they died in the fire.
Police also arrested and charged Sweeney at the scene.
During Monday’s hearing, defense attorney Kevin Mahoney told the court that Sweeney has no recollection of what happened, doesn’t understand the magnitude of the situation, and is concerned about his competency.
When Sweeney’s attorney informed him of the crash and the deaths, he reportedly responded, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to be a police officer.”
Mahoney also told the court that his client has a documented history of mental health issues. He said Sweeney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in September 2024 and was later prescribed medication for psychosis in December 2025. According to Mahoney, Sweeney stopped taking the medication after experiencing chest pains. The attorney declined to say when his client last took the medication.
“It’s my understanding that he has no recollection and that he has a history of black outs and lost time,” Mahoney said. “He made a number of comments when he called his mother that would tend to demonstrate that he didn’t understand what had transpired, what was going on that night, and this was 3-4 hours of the arrest.”
Mahoney also revealed that Sweeney lives with his mother in Paxton, works part-time as a landscaper, and has a valid driver’s license.
Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Carrie Spiros told the judge, “The defendant before you has an inability to comply with reasonable law enforcement orders as well as to comply with the law generally and I think that it is a pattern that has been intertwined in his use of alcohol as well as mental health issues.”
Kashmira’s grandmother told Boston 25 News that she was a beautiful and sweet young girl. She was about to enter the third grade at South School in Andover.
Family says that the girl and her father lived about ten minutes away from the crash site and were on their way home from picking up some milk.
An investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing.
Sweeney was held on $250,000 bail. He’s due back in court on September 11th.
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