It was a cold January morning in Brownsville, Brooklyn, when 33-year-old Kianna Underwood, a former star of the Nickelodeon show 'All That', lost her life in a horrific collision. For months, the community has been waiting for answers, and finally, there is a development in the case. On Tuesday, 72-year-old Michael Griffiths was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and leaving the scene of an accident with injury, according to the NYPD.
On January 16, around 6:50 a.m., surveillance footage captured the moment Underwood was crossing at Watkins Street and Pitkin Avenue against the light. Police report that Griffiths, driving a 2021 black Ford Explorer, crossed a double yellow line to pass a stopped car. He struck Underwood, sending her into the intersection. In a devastating turn of events, a second vehicle then hit her and dragged her for several hundred feet. She was found at the corner of Osborn Street and Pitkin Avenue with severe trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Back in January, Griffiths told the New York Daily News that he felt like he had "hit something" while on his way to work, but insisted he "did nothing wrong." He claimed that he pulled over after the initial impact, witnessed a second car drag the victim, and eventually left the scene because he needed to take his medication and felt like he was "going to faint." Records indicate his vehicle had previously racked up 41 traffic violations, including 25 for speeding. Underwood, who appeared on the final season of 'All That' in 2005, had been experiencing homelessness in the area for some time.
Why it matters
This case highlights the persistent dangers on city streets and the long, painful search for accountability in fatal hit-and-run incidents. For fans who remember her from Nickelodeon, it's a heartbreaking end for a former child star who had been facing the harsh reality of life on the streets.
