Early Friday morning, the tragic news emerged that former Nickelodeon child star Kianna Underwood was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn. Fox News Digital confirmed this with the New York Police Department, revealing that she was just 33 years old.
According to police, Underwood was struck by an SUV while crossing an intersection in the Brownsville neighborhood. She was hit again by a second vehicle, both of which fled the scene and remain unidentified.
A DCPI spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "On Friday, January 16, 2026, at approximately 6:43 a.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call of a pedestrian struck at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard within the confines of the 73rd Precinct."
Investigators revealed that the crash unfolded as a black SUV approached the intersection. "Further investigation by the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad determined that a black 2021 Ford Explorer SUV, operated by an unidentified individual, was traveling westbound on Pitkin Avenue with a green light signal," they said.
The police added that the driver then made a dangerous turn, crossing into oncoming traffic to pass another vehicle. "It crossed over the double yellow line and traveled counterflow... and struck a 33-year-old woman who was attempting to cross Pitkin Avenue." Authorities stated that Underwood was in the crosswalk at the time of the collision.
After the initial impact, Underwood was hit a second time while lying in the roadway. "As the pedestrian was lying on the roadway, she was subsequently struck by a black-and-gray sedan operated by an unidentified individual," investigators said. Both drivers fled before police arrived.
Emergency medical services pronounced Underwood dead at the scene. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad.
Underwood was best known for her work as a child actor on Nickelodeon, appearing on the network's hit sketch comedy series "All That" in 2005. She also voiced the character Fuchsia Glover on the Nick Jr. animated series "Little Bill," from 1999 to 2004. Later, she spent a year performing as Little Inez on the first national tour of the Broadway musical "Hairspray."
"All That" was Underwood's final credited acting role. The long-running Nickelodeon series helped launch the careers of major stars, including Nick Cannon, Kenan Thompson, and Amanda Bynes.
