Tampa teen and Clearwater 76-year-old in serious condition after unlicensed driver crashes

[Florida Highway Patrol]

TAMPA -- A 16-year-old Tampa girl and Clearwater 76-year-old were hospitalized for serious injuries following a Tuesday afternoon crash on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Interstate 4, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

At almost 6 p.m., 54-year-old Keqin Huang, of New York, was heading eastbound on MLK in 1993 four-door Nissan when Huang attempted to turn left onto eastbound I-4 at a green light, not a green arrow, troopers said. Huang turned in front of a 1997 four-door Toyota, driven by Sierra Shantel Smith, 18, of Tampa. Smith was heading west on MLK in the outside lane, also traveling through the intersection under a green light.

The front of Smith's car struck the right passenger side of Huang's. A passenger in Huang's car, Bing Cheng Chen, 76, of Clearwater was taken to Tampa General Hospital in serious condition, troopers said. Huang's injuries were minor. Troopers said Smith's injuries were also minor, but her passenger, 16-year-old Crystal Kiara Smith, was taken to Tampa General with serious injuries.

Smith was driving with a valid Florida learner's permit but did not have a 21-year-old in her car at the time of the crash, troopers said. She was charged with violating her learner's license restrictions, and Huang was charged with an improper left turn.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer