Driver in head-on bus crash upgraded to fair condition

ST. PETERSBURG - The woman who ran her car head-on into a bus while making an illegal pass on 15th Avenue S near 25th Street on Tuesday has been upgraded to fair condition, according to a Bayfront Medical Center spokeswoman.

Shanikwa Lynette Thomas, 24, rammed her Buick into a Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority bus after trying to pass three cars despite a double yellow line.

Privacy laws prevent the hospital from releasing the condition of her children, 6-year-old Caliaha Thomas and 4-year-old Leandre Grant. St. Petersburg police traffic homicide investigator Mike Jocker said on Tuesday that Caliaha Thomas suffered "critical" injuries and Grant "serious" injuries. None, he said, were wearing seatbelts.

Police will await the medical outcomes of the victims before charging Shanikwa Thomas, according to spokesman George Kajtsa.