Authorities: Excessive Speed Suspected in Crash That Killed Actress Kaylee Hottle

Actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for playing Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has died after a car crash in Maryland. She was 19.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said Hottle was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord that crashed on Windsor Road in Ijamsville at about 2:52 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators said the 19-year-old driver left the roadway and struck a culvert. Hottle was taken to a trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead.

A second passenger was not injured and declined medical treatment. The driver was hospitalized with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Authorities believe excessive speed was a factor in the single-vehicle crash, which remains under investigation.

Hottle, who was deaf, made her film debut in Godzilla vs. Kong after appearing in a 2017 advertisement for the ASL app Convo. She returned as Jia in the 2024 sequel, portraying the young girl who shares a close bond with Kong through sign language.

The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, honored her in a statement, expressing condolences to her family and asking the public to respect their privacy while the investigation continues.