SUV Driver Hits Kianna Underwood in Brownsville Hit-and-Run
An SUV driver hit 33-year-old Kianna Underwood at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard, where the official record logged one pedestrian death, and the Daily News reported a second driver dragged her more than two blocks before leaving.
What We Know
Official crash records list a 33-year-old woman killed a little before 7 AM at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard, with an SUV involved and disregarded traffic control cited. ABC7 said the westbound driver did not stop. The Daily News, citing police sources, identified the pedestrian as Kianna Underwood and said an SUV driver first hit her before a sedan driver hit her and dragged her more than two blocks. Police had located the SUV owner and were still looking for the sedan driver three days later, the Daily News said.
Official Crash Data
Collision ID
4871950
Date
January 16, 2026
Time
6:43 a.m.
Location
Pitkin Ave & Mother Gaston Blvd, Brooklyn
Borough
BROOKLYN
Fatalities
1
Pedestrians killed
1
Vehicles listed
SUV, Station Wagon/Sport Utility Vehicle
Contributing factors listed
Traffic Control Disregarded
Two drivers left after the fatal collision, police sources said
The official crash record says one pedestrian, a 33-year-old woman, was killed at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard at 6:43 a.m. on January 16, 2026. The record lists traffic-control disregard as a contributing factor.
The Daily News identified the woman as Kianna Underwood and reported that police said an SUV driver hit her while she was in the crosswalk against the light. According to that account, the driver was heading west on Pitkin Avenue with the green light, veered across the double yellow line to pass another driver, hit Underwood and left.
Pitkin Avenue has a long crash record in Brownsville
The fatal crash was recorded at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brooklyn, in the 11212 ZIP code.
CrashCountNYC's corridor context for Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn counted 1,051 crashes, 716 injuries, 38 serious injuries and 3 deaths from January 2022 through June 2026.
Underwood was later identified as a former child actor
ABC7 first reported that the victim was a woman in her 30s whose identity had not been released. The Daily News later identified her as 33-year-old Kianna Underwood, a former Nickelodeon actor.
The official record lists the fatal pedestrian as a 33-year-old woman and says she was at the intersection when the crash occurred.
Records and police accounts focus on traffic controls
The official record cites traffic-control disregard for the crash and also lists the pedestrian action as crossing against the signal.
The Daily News reported that police said Underwood was crossing against the light, while the SUV driver had the green light but crossed the double yellow line to pass another driver before hitting her.
Police found an SUV owner as the investigation continued
Police sources told the Daily News that investigators located the owner of a black 2021 Ford Explorer that they believed was involved. The owner told police he was getting a lawyer and would not answer questions, the report said.
Police seized the Ford Explorer and were reviewing surveillance footage to determine who was driving, according to the Daily News. No charges had been filed at the time of that report, and police were still looking for the sedan driver.