Dancer Bethune killed in accident

Police in Los Angeles are investigating the death of dancer, actress and charity patron Zina Bethune. The 66-year-old was killed early on Sunday after stopping her car to attend to an injured animal. She was struck by two vehicles, one of which dragged her more than 180 metres, authorities said. The former New York City Ballet soloist starred alongside Harvey Keitel in Martin Scorsese's 1967 debut feature Who's That Knocking at My Door. She worked predominantly in television with appearances in The Hardy Boys, The Nurses and Party of Five. The New York native trained under famed instructor George Balanchine, going on to sing and dance on Broadway. After moving to Los Angeles in 1980, she founded the Theatre Bethune dance company and the Infinite Dreams outreach programme for children with disabilities. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 8,000 young people have taken part in the programme's activities. Bethune is survived by her husband Sean Feeley, part of the visual effects team that worked on 2008 Pixar animation Wall-E.