A judge has issued an arrest warrant for a woman who is accused of killing two of her children in a crash on the M1.
Mary McCann, 35, failed to appear before Aylesbury crown court on Friday, where she was to face two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Judge Francis Sheridan issued a warrant for her arrest and the Home Office Border Force has been asked to place alerts at all ports and airports to prevent her from leaving the country.
McCann, from Derby, is charged over the deaths of her son Smaller, 10, and daughter Lilly, four, after she drove her white Vauxhall Astra into a Scania HGV on the motorway between J14 and J15 near Milton Keynes on 9 August.
She and another child passenger survived and were taken to hospital with minor injuries. The lorry driver was not injured in the incident.
The mother of four was initially arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving.
The BBC quoted the prosecutor, Heather Stangoe, as telling the court: “Unfortunately, we do not know where she is. We were informed through her solicitor that they had failed to make contact with the defendant. Her bail address was her sister’s and she is not there.
“It was the funeral of her children this week. Her one-year-old child is with the grandmother and is safe.”
The defence barrister, Laban Leake, was quoted as saying: “She gave a telephone number, an attempt was made to contact that number, but there was no response.
“We know nothing of her state of mind.”
Sheridan said McCann would most probably attempt to flee to Ireland. The judge issued an arrest warrant not backed for bail, meaning that if she is found she will be held in custody until her next court appearance.
