NYPD makes arrest 8 months after Kianna Underwood’s fatal hit‑and‑run

The NYPD has arrested 72‑year‑old Michael Griffiths in connection with the fatal hit‑and‑run that killed former Nickelodeon actress Kianna Underwood, according to NBC New York.

Arrest made eight months after January 2026 crash

Griffiths was arrested on September 29, 2026, eight months after Underwood was struck and killed on January 16, 2026.

Police charged Griffiths with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and leaving the scene of an accident with injury. He pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance.

Kianna Underwood’s tragic fatal hit-and-run details (trigger warning)

Underwood, 33, was crossing Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brownsville when a black Ford Explorer crossed the double yellow line and hit her, police said. While she lay in the roadway, a black‑and‑gray sedan struck her again and dragged her nearly two blocks. Both drivers fled.

Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene. Surveillance video captured both impacts.

Suspect previously spoke publicly

Griffiths told the New York Daily News earlier in the year that he remembered hitting “something” but denied wrongdoing. He said he left because he felt faint and needed medication. Records show his vehicle had 41 violations, including 25 speeding violations.

Police reviewed surveillance footage, processed debris and canvassed nearby businesses. Investigators also examined traffic camera video and witness statements. Authorities confirmed Griffiths’ arrest but have not identified the second driver.

Kianna Underwood’s career in television and theater

Underwood appeared in seven episodes of Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy series “All That” in 2005. She also voiced Fuchsia Glover on Nick Jr.’s “Little Bill” from 1999 to 2004.

She later toured nationally as Little Inez in the musical “Hairspray.”

Former cast member Angelique Bates told CBS News New York that Underwood had struggled with homelessness in recent years and said she hoped Underwood knew “that love was reciprocated.”

Griffiths faces two felony charges. Prosecutors are reviewing collision reports as the investigation continues. Police have not announced charges for the second driver.