The 18-year-old “Godzilla vs. Kong” actor was fatally injured when a car left a rural road and struck a culvert.
IJAMSVILLE, Md. — Actor Kaylee Hottle died from multiple blunt-force injuries suffered in a single-vehicle crash in Frederick County, according to reports citing the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Her death was ruled an accident.
The medical finding provides new information about the July 21 crash that killed the 18-year-old actor, who was known for playing Jia in two films featuring Godzilla and Kong. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said Hottle was one of three people inside a 1995 Honda Accord that left Windsor Road in Ijamsville shortly before 3 a.m. The agency’s Traffic Unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Deputies and Frederick County fire and rescue crews were called to the 11400 block of Windsor Road at about 2:52 a.m. Investigators said the Honda traveled off the right side of the two-lane road and struck a culvert. Authorities said excessive speed was believed to have contributed to the crash, though that assessment was preliminary and did not establish criminal responsibility.
Hottle was taken to a trauma center, where she was pronounced dead. The 19-year-old Frederick man driving the car was hospitalized with injuries described by authorities as not life-threatening. A second passenger declined medical treatment at the scene. The sheriff’s office did not publicly identify either person in its initial account of the crash.
No criminal charges had been announced. Investigators had not released a final reconstruction or detailed findings explaining why the vehicle left the road. The medical examiner’s ruling establishes the cause and manner of Hottle’s death but does not resolve the separate traffic investigation.
Hottle became widely known through her role as Jia, a deaf orphan who forms a close connection with Kong, in the 2021 film “Godzilla vs. Kong.” The character communicated with Kong using sign language. Hottle returned for the 2024 sequel, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” again appearing alongside Rebecca Hall and other members of the franchise’s cast.
A native user of American Sign Language, Hottle came from a deaf family and attended the Texas School for the Deaf. Her casting drew attention because a young deaf actor was playing a major deaf character in a large Hollywood production. Before her feature-film debut, she appeared in commercials and projects connected to the deaf community. She also appeared in a 2021 episode of the television series “Magnum P.I.”
Hottle’s parents confirmed her death through social media messages delivered in American Sign Language. Her father, Joshua Hottle, said he was traveling from Texas to Maryland after learning of the crash. He expressed gratitude for the 18 years the family had with her and described the grief being felt by Hottle’s mother and siblings.
Actors and advocates also posted memorial messages. Millie Bobby Brown, who appeared with Hottle in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” said she was devastated by the news. Hall, who portrayed Jia’s adoptive mother, shared photographs and remembered her former co-star. Tributes emphasized Hottle’s talent, professionalism and importance to deaf representation in entertainment.
The sheriff’s Traffic Unit remained responsible for determining the full sequence of events and whether any further action was warranted. Authorities had not announced additional legal proceedings or a timetable for completing the investigation as of Saturday.
Author note: Last updated July 25, 2026.