NEW YORK — A 72-year-old man was arrested for the fatal crash that killed former Nickelodeon child star Kianna Underwood in Brooklyn, cops said Tuesday.

Michael Griffiths, who told the Daily News that he did “nothing wrong” during the fatal crash, was indicted on leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and other charges for striking Underwood with his SUV and then continuing without stopping, police said.

Underwood, 33, had a recurring role in the Nickelodeon show “All That” as a child, had fallen on hard times before her death, and had struggled with substance abuse and homelessness, friends and former co-stars said.

She was struck and dragged for two blocks by a black sedan heading west on Pitkin Ave. as she tried to cross the roadway near Mother Gaston Blvd. in Brownsville about 6:50 a.m. on Jan. 16, cops said.

Griffiths was released without bail after pleading not guilty at his arraignment in Brooklyn criminal court Tuesday. He’s due back in court to answer the charges on Oct. 27.

In an interview just days after the deadly crash, Griffiths told The News that he was behind the wheel of the 2021 black Ford Explorer that cops say struck Underwood in Brownsville.

He said a second motorist involved dragged the victim more than two blocks.

“I did nothing wrong,” the septuagenarian said, tearing up at times as he spoke. “At the time it was a little bit darkish. I was going to work. … It felt like I hit something, and I pulled over and stopped.”

According to police, Griffith’s SUV struck Underwood after veering over the double yellow line while heading west on Pitkin Ave as he maneuvered around a turning vehicle at Mother Gaston Blvd. Underwood was in the crosswalk but crossing against the light, cops said.

After being struck by Griffiths, Underwood was run over and dragged for more than two blocks by a black-and-gray sedan, cops said.

Underwood died at the scene.

Griffiths says that before leaving the scene, he got out of his SUV and joined good Samaritans who tried to flag the second driver down. He then left before police arrived.

“I don’t know if he saw, or what,” he said of the other driver. “Only reason I leave is because I had to take my medication,” he said. “I felt like I was going to faint when the incident happened.”

But cops said it took days to track Griffiths down and that he refused to answer their questions, telling them to speak to his lawyer, a police source said.

“They came here and spoke to me, and they took my vehicle,” Griffiths said of the cops. “My lawyer said not to speak to anybody.”

The vehicle has in the past been ticketed for 41 violations, 25 of them for speeding, records show.

A New York City native, Underwood had film and TV credits from the late ’90s and early 2000s. She was only 6 years old when she made her first film appearance with the 1999 theatrical release of “The 24 Hour Woman,” according to her IMDB.

She appeared in seven episodes of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy show “All That”, alongside Amanda Bynes and Kenan Thompson. She also joined the first national tour of “Hairspray” as little Inez, and had a minor role in “Death of a Dynasty,” a comedy about the hip-hop industry starring Kevin Hart.

Her first starring role was in “Little Bill,” an animated children’s series created by Bill Cosby for Nick Jr., in which she voiced the titular character’s cousin, Fuchsia Glover.

In November 2023, Underwood’s fellow “All That” alumnus Angelique Bates said on Instagram that her former co-star was homeless and needed help.

“I don’t know what the whole situation is. You don’t know if there’s addiction. You don’t know if there’s mental illness. You don’t know what is at play right now,” she said, adding that fundraising wouldn’t be enough. “There has to be a plan to make sure that they’re getting all the proper assistance.”

_____

©2026 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.