Drivers Flee After Kianna Underwood Is Killed in Brownsville
Police said two drivers hit 33-year-old pedestrian Kianna Underwood near Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard and fled; the city crash record lists one pedestrian death and traffic-control disregard.
What We Know
Kianna Underwood, 33, died on Jan. 16, 2026, after she was hit while crossing near Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brownsville. City crash data records one pedestrian death and lists traffic-control disregard as a contributing factor. The NYPD later told news outlets that a driver in a black Ford Explorer crossed the double yellow line to pass another driver and hit Underwood, who police said did not have the signal to cross; police said a second driver in a black-gray sedan then hit her and also left. Early reports described the striking driver as being in a gray or black sedan, while later reports described two drivers and a Ford SUV seized by police. Reporters identified Underwood as a former Nickelodeon child actor with credits on All That and Little Bill.
Police described a fatal hit-and-run at daybreak
The city crash record places the fatal collision at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard at 6:43 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2026, and records one pedestrian killed. Police told news outlets that Kianna Underwood was crossing in Brownsville when a driver hit her and left the scene.
Later police accounts reported by CBS and ABC said two drivers hit Underwood: first a driver in a black Ford Explorer, then a driver in a black-gray sedan. Surveillance video described by several outlets appeared to show Underwood being dragged toward Pitkin Avenue and Osborn Street before emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
Pitkin Avenue has a long crash record
The fatal crash happened at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
CrashCountNYC location data for Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn shows 1,051 crashes, 716 injuries, 38 serious injuries and 3 deaths from 2022 through June 1, 2026.
Kianna Underwood was 33 and had worked as a child actor
The NYPD confirmed Underwood’s identity after the crash, according to CBS and ABC. The Daily News reported that she was born in New York City and had film, television and stage credits, including All That, Little Bill, The 24 Hour Woman and a national tour of Hairspray.
News reports also described grief and concern from people who knew or recognized her. CBS quoted nearby store supervisor Andy Sierra calling the crash a tragedy, and the New York Post reported that her father, Anthony Underwood, questioned online whether anyone comforted her after the crash.
Investigators focused on signals, lane position and leaving the scene
The city crash record lists traffic-control disregard as a contributing factor and records Underwood as crossing against the signal at an intersection.
CBS reported that police said the driver of the Ford had a green light, crossed the double yellow line to pass another driver, hit Underwood and did not stay. The Daily News likewise reported that police said the Ford driver veered across the double yellow line before hitting her. Both outlets reported that the second driver also left the scene.
Police seized a Ford SUV as the search continued
CBS reported on Jan. 19 that police had found and seized the Ford SUV seen in surveillance video, but said the owner was not under arrest because investigators did not have enough evidence to say he was driving. The Daily News reported that no charges were immediately filed and that police were still looking for the driver of the sedan.
News 12 later reported that a small memorial sat at Pitkin Avenue and Osborn Street, where Underwood was found after the crash.