Nickelodeon child star loses life to road accident

A beloved former child actor from Nickelodeon has died after being struck in a hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn, New York, in a shocking incident that has left many fans and neighbours saddened. 

Police and law enforcement sources confirmed that 33-year-old Kianna Underwood, known for her early roles on All That and Little Bill, was killed in the collision on the morning of Friday, Jan. 16.

Underwood was crossing the street near Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard in the Brownsville neighbourhood around 6:50 a.m. when she was hit by a sedan that was heading west on Pitkin Avenue.

According to law enforcement reports, the vehicle dragged her body for about two blocks before she was dislodged onto the roadway, where she was found with severe trauma. 

She was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Authorities confirmed that the driver fled and has not been identified or arrested, and the hit-and-run investigation is ongoing.

Born in New York City, Underwood began acting as a child, building her early career with voice work and television roles. 

She appeared in the final season of Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy show All That in 2005, and she also voiced the character Fuchsia Glover on Little Bill, an animated series aimed at younger audiences. 

These performances helped establish her presence in children’s television during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Beyond her work on Nickelodeon, Underwood’s early credits also include film and theater, such as touring with the musical Hairspray as Little Inez, showcasing the range of her talents beyond the small screen. 

After All That ended, she largely stepped away from acting and lived privately in New York for many years.

Though she had been out of the public eye for some time, a resurfaced 2023 video showing Underwood identifying herself as the All That actress reminded fans of her earlier career and sparked a wave of online remembrance following news of her death.

With no arrests reported yet, police continue to seek information about the hit-and-run driver. 

Underwood’s passing has prompted an outpouring of condolences from fans who grew up watching her on Nickelodeon, remembering her contributions to television and the joy she brought to viewers in her youth.