'Godzilla' actress Kaylee Hottle dies in Frederick County crash

Kaylee Hottle, an 18-year-old actress best known for her role in two "Godzilla" films, died Tuesday morning in a crash, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.The sheriff's office said deputies were called around 2:52 a.m. to a single-vehicle crash in the 11400 block of Windsor Road in Ijamsville.[image id='a38202ba-e805-4372-b1d8-f4d8a80974e8' mediaId='05337b18-e535-4842-a78f-ec6aaa307a2e' align='center' size='medium' share='true' caption='' expand='' crop='original'][/image]A preliminary investigation indicates that a 19-year-old Frederick man driving a Honda Accord left the road on the right side and struck a culvert. Investigators said excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash.The crash trapped the driver, who was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Hottle, 18, of Kyle, Texas, was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced deceased, the sheriff's office said.A second passenger was not injured.Joshua Hottle, posted a heartbreaking 23-minute video on Facebook speaking in American Sign Language, revealing the news of his daughter's death, saying: "I am taking a flight that I never would like to take." He said he was flying to Maryland from Texas.[infogram]https://infogram.com/wbal-tv-kayle-hottle-crash-map-1h7v4pdqrzm1j4k[/infogram]Kaylee Hottle made her feature film debut in the 2021 film "Godzilla vs. Kong" in which Jia forms a bond with Kong and communicates with him primarily through American Sign Language. Her performance earned her praise for bringing authentic deaf representation to a major Hollywood blockbuster.The Atlanta native reprised her role as Jia in "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" in 2024, a performance that earned her a Saturn Award nomination for best performance by a younger actor.Kaylee Hottle attended the Texas School for the Deaf, where she was a senior. The school posted a statement on Facebook, saying:"It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland."Our hearts are with Kaylee's family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time."At this time, we have very limited information and ask that everyone respect the privacy of Kaylee's family and refrain from sharing or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident."We recognize this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community. Counseling and support services are available for students and staff who may need them, with additional support being provided for Kaylee's classmates and friends."Please keep Kaylee's loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together."Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information is asked to call DFC. Rose at 301-600-1046.[related id='eecad32e-1a86-4f4e-9795-1cf7a4018515' align='center' source=''][/related]