Los Angeles: Kiana Underwood, a former child actor best known for her appearances on Nickelodeon’s popular sketch comedy show All That, has died after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run incident in New York. She was 33.
According to reports by TMZ, Underwood was hit by a sedan while crossing a street in Brooklyn early Friday morning, shortly before 7am. The vehicle allegedly dragged her for nearly two blocks before speeding away. She was pronounced dead at the scene in the Brownsville neighbourhood. No arrests have been made so far, Variety reported.
Sources cited by the New York Post suggested that Underwood may have been crossing the road after stepping out of a neighbourhood bodega, with the driver possibly unaware that a pedestrian was in their path.
Underwood rose to prominence in 2005 after joining the final season of All That, a Nickelodeon show that played a major role in shaping early 2000s children’s television. The series helped launch the careers of several young stars, including Amanda Bynes, Nick Cannon, and Kenan Thompson.
In addition to live-action comedy, Underwood also lent her voice to animation. She voiced Fuchsia Glover — the cousin of the main character — on Nickelodeon’s animated series Little Bill, appearing in 23 episodes between 1999 and 2004. The show was created by comedian Bill Cosby and was loosely based on his childhood.
Beyond television, Underwood appeared in the 1999 romantic comedy The 24 Hour Woman, sharing screen space with actors Rosie Perez and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. She also featured in the first US national tour of the musical Hairspray in 2004.
Underwood had largely stepped away from acting in recent years, staying out of the public eye. News of her death has prompted an outpouring of grief online, with fans revisiting her work and expressing shock at the sudden and tragic circumstances surrounding her passing.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
