Overview
- The crash on Aug. 22 killed 35-year-old Samir Naili and his 8-year-old daughter after their car was struck at a red light and burst into flames despite rescue attempts.
- A Middlesex County grand jury returned two counts of second-degree murder plus felony motor vehicle homicide, operating under the influence and related charges on Oct. 13–14.
- Police reports say investigators found two open alcoholic beverages and a third cup that smelled of alcohol in the driver’s vehicle and tied the driver to an earlier Methuen hit-and-run and an Andover high-speed evasion.
- The defendant, Matthew R. Sweeney of Paxton, was found competent to stand trial after a Bridgewater State Hospital evaluation and has pleaded not guilty while citing a 2024 bipolar diagnosis and reported blackouts.
- Sweeney remains in state custody with $250,000 cash bail and is scheduled for arraignment in Middlesex Superior Court as prosecutors and family members prepare for pretrial proceedings.