The parents of deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, who died in a car crash in Maryland, do not know the two male survivors of the incident, according to new details. Hottle, 18, was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord that veered off the road and crashed into a ditch. Speed was identified as a contributing factor by local law enforcement.
Hottle's father, Joshua Hottle, told TMZ that his daughter was visiting a friend in Maryland at the time of the accident, but the friend was not in the vehicle. He stated that Kaylee was in the backseat of the car with two men unknown to the family. The family is awaiting further information from the completed autopsy to clarify Hottle's relationship with the 19-year-old driver and the other passenger.
The investigation has ruled out alcohol impairment as a cause for the crash. The Frederick County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol. Results from a drug test on the driver are still pending, and it remains unclear if criminal charges will be filed. Hottle's cause of death has been classified as accidental, stemming from multiple blunt force injuries.
The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while another passenger did not require medical treatment at the scene. Photos of the vehicle show significant damage to the front, with a crumpled hood and a destroyed bumper.
Joshua Hottle, who is also deaf, shared the news of his daughter's death via a Facebook livestream, describing his travel from Texas to claim her body. He stated that officials informed him Hottle's heart had stopped en route to the hospital shortly after he learned of the accident. The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, also announced her passing on Facebook, extending condolences to her family and community.
Hottle was known for her role as Jia, a young girl who communicated with King Kong using sign language, in the films "Godzilla vs. Kong" (2021) and "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" (2024). She worked with her parents to translate her spoken lines into American Sign Language (ASL) for the films, a process that sometimes presented challenges on set due to the nuances of ASL compared to spoken language.
Her co-star Alexander Skarsgard praised Hottle in a 2021 interview, calling her the star of "Godzilla vs. Kong" and noting her professionalism and ability to take direction. Skarsgard also learned ASL to communicate with her. Hottle, who came from an all-deaf family, also appeared on an episode of "Magnum P.I." and participated in commercials and public service announcements for organizations supporting the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. She was also a member of her school's track and field team.