IJAMSVILLE, MARYLAND — Kaylee Hottle died at age 18 following a car crash in Ijamsville, Maryland. The actress, known for her role in the “Godzilla” films, was taken to an area trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead.

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office stated that deputies and the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services responded to the crash at approximately 2:52 a.m. on a Tuesday. The incident occurred on Windsor Road in Ijamsville, an unincorporated community in Frederick County.

A preliminary investigation by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office found that a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man from Frederick traveled off the right side of the two-lane road and struck a culvert. Investigators believe excessive speed was a contributing factor in the crash. Three people were in the vehicle, including Hottle.

The driver was taken to a local hospital with injuries that authorities said are not believed to be life-threatening. A second passenger declined medical treatment at the scene.

Dispatch audio obtained by Page Six indicated that first responders requested assistance locating someone who knew sign language to communicate with Hottle. The audio also indicated that Hottle was unconscious when emergency personnel responded to the crash. Her father, Joshua Hottle, stated that his daughter's heart stopped en route to the hospital.

Joshua Hottle announced his daughter's death in a Facebook video using American Sign Language. He stated that he was flying to Maryland from Texas to be with his family. He said he was taking a flight that he never would like to take.

In the same message, he addressed the driver of the vehicle. He said he had forgiven the driver and urged that the incident not ruin the rest of the driver's life.

The Texas School for the Deaf confirmed Hottle's death in a statement. Hottle was a senior at the school and recently lived in Kyle, Texas. Born in Atlanta, she came from a multigenerational deaf family and was a native user of American Sign Language. Troy Kotsur wrote that Hottle's death made him think of his own daughter and reminded him not to take time for granted.

Hottle was best known for portraying Jia in the films “Godzilla vs. Kong” and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. She was nominated for the Saturn Award for best performance by a younger actor for her role in the latter film. Her career also included an appearance in a 2021 television episode of “Magnum P.I.” Alexander Skarsgård, who acted alongside her, told Junkee in 2021 that he and others were impressed by her professionalism and her ability to quickly incorporate the director's notes into her acting.

In a 2024 interview with The Associated Press through an interpreter, Hottle said she hadn’t watched monster movies before she was cast in “Godzilla,” so her father helped her understand the genre. She expressed admiration for her family during the same interview. She said she looked up to many people, but mostly to her parents and sisters.

She also shared concerns about her future during production of the first film. Hottle said that when she was working on the first film, she was concerned about whether she would be able to return to her “normal life” afterward.

Hottle spoke about her desire to represent the deaf community in Hollywood. In a 2024 interview with the Houston Chronicle, she outlined her hopes for other young actresses. She said she would like to see more deaf young actresses get motivated when they see her on screen and hopefully have a chance in Hollywood as well. She added that she hoped deaf people would be inspired to want to be an actor or actress when they see her on screen.

Hottle's death marks the loss of a prominent young deaf actress who achieved international recognition for her role in a major film franchise. Her career provided visibility for deaf performers in mainstream cinema, a field where representation remains limited. The circumstances of the crash, including the response efforts to communicate with a deaf patient, present specific challenges in emergency medical situations involving deaf individuals.

Hottle was a student at the Texas School for the Deaf, an institution that serves deaf and hard-of-hearing students from across the state. Her passing affects the school community and the broader deaf community, which viewed her as a role model. The driver of the vehicle faces an ongoing investigation into the crash, with authorities citing speed as a factor.