Massachusetts ? A woman with a history of mental illness purposely walked her young niece and nephew into oncoming interstate traffic to commit a double-murder suicide, a prosecutor said Friday.

Marcelle Thibault, 39, was driving south on Interstate 495 in Lowell last week when she turned the car sharply, drove across the median and northbound lanes and began driving against traffic in the breakdown lane, authorities said.

She then stopped the car, removed her clothes and undressed the children, took both of them into her arms and walked onto the highway. She and the children were struck by two cars and killed.