Michael Griffiths charged in Kianna Underwood’s death

Michael Griffiths, 72, was arrested September 29 and charged in connection with the January death of Kianna Underwood, a former child actor who was struck by vehicles while crossing a Brooklyn street, police said. He faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and leaving the scene of an accident with injury. Underwood, 33, died at the scene of the January 16 crash in Brownsville. Police said a black Ford Explorer hit her as she crossed Pitkin Avenue, and that a black-and-gray sedan struck her afterward. Reports say she was dragged along the roadway by the second vehicle. The driver of that sedan has not been publicly identified, according to one account. Griffiths told a newspaper in January that he was driving a 2021 Ford Explorer, felt an impact and pulled over. He said he saw another vehicle strike Underwood and tried with bystanders to flag down its driver. Griffiths said he later left because he needed medication and feared he might faint. Police accounts reported in the coverage say Griffiths left before officers arrived. His account differs on what he did immediately after the collision, and the available reports do not resolve that dispute.