The father of former child actress Kianna Underwood, who tragically died in a hit-and-run incident on January 16 has posted a heartbreaking message on Facebook, referencing the horrific nature of his daughter's passing.
Kianna was killed after she was struck by two cars as she crossed the intersection at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Blvd in Brooklyn, NY. Per the NYPD, the 33-year-old was hit by an SUV and then dragged by a second vehicle, a gray sedan, for two blocks before she was found motionless following a call to emergency services.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, her father, Anthony Underwood, recalled the time he was in the Catskills and saw an injured fox on the side of the road.
"I could tell it had been hit. It was a dangerous, curved road, and I contemplated moving our car into the middle of the road so it wouldn't get hit again," he wrote, according to People magazine, who first reported the news.
"But before I could do anything, someone came around the corner and didn't slow down when I started flashing my highbeams. So the driver ran over the fox. I remember the horror I felt when I saw that."
Anthony continued: “All I can think about is, did anyone show my baby that same compassion as someone ran her over like roadkill. Did anyone try to comfort my baby as she [lay] dying in the street alone, or did they just stand around with their phones?"
A black 2021 Ford Explorer SU "operated by an unidentified individual" has been identified by NYPD as a vehicle of interest. The NYPD statement revealed that the car had crossed the yellow line and was driving "counterflow" to traffic when it collided with Kianna, who was crossing at a marked crosswalk against the light.
Kianna was "subsequently struck by a black and gray sedan," as she lay on the ground following the first incident, and travelled two blocks underneath the car.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
Kianna starred in the 1999 Rosie Perez movie The 24 Hour Woman playing the character of Tanessha Labelle at the age of six. But most notably, she provided the voice of Fuchsia Glover in the Nick Jr. show Little Bill, created by and based on the life of Bill Cosby.
Kianna took over the role in episode two and remained with the series across its five-year run between 1999 and 2004.
Her other credits include the 2001 TV movie Santa, Baby!, providing the voice of a character named Dakota, as well as an appearance on the Nickelodeon show All That with Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes.
She also toured the country with the first national tour of Hairspray.