Kaylee Hottle and Kaylee Hottle with Rebecca Hall
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Kaylee Hottle’s cause of death confirmed as investigation into fatal crash continues

Crash photos reveal the extent of the car damage

Daisy Phillipson
23rd July 2026, 11:19
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The cause of death of Kaylee Hottle has been revealed following the car crash that killed the Godzilla vs. Kong actress. 

Kaylee, best known for playing Jia Andrews in the Monsterverse franchise, died in the early hours on Tuesday, July 21st, due to a single-vehicle collision in Ijamsville, Maryland.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Kaylee, 19, was one of two passengers. The 19-year-old male driver suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, while the second passenger declined medical treatment at the scene. 

Deputies and emergency crews responded to the incident just before 3am after the car veered off the roadway and hit a culvert. Police believe “excessive speed” to be a contributing factor. 

An autopsy took place on Wednesday at the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which revealed the results to Deadline. Kaylee’s official cause of death was found to be multiple blunt force injuries and has been listed as accidental. 

Photos of the crashed 1995 Honda Accord have been obtained by TMZ, revealing the extent of the damage caused by the collision. 

The news arrives shortly after a dispatch audio obtained by Page Six revealed officers seeking an ASL interpreter or an app to communicate with Kaylee, who is deaf. It also suggests that the actress was unconscious at the time emergency services arrived on the scene. 

While the autopsy has been completed, the cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit.

Kaylee’s father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the news of her passing in a Facebook live stream using American Sign Language (ASL), saying he had to travel from Texas to Maryland to collect his daughter’s body. 

“I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” he wrote. Her mother, Ketsi Hottle, also shared a tearful tribute after her daughter’s death, calling it a “privilege to be” the star’s mum in an Instagram video. 

Kaylee famously appeared in Godzilla vs. Kong and its 2024 sequel, The New Empire. Her character, Jia, was a deaf orphan adopted by Monarch scientist Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) who shares a unique bond with Kong and communicates using ASL.

Her Monsterverse co-stars are among those who are remembering Kaylee, with Millie Bobby Brown writing on Instagram, “I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee.”

 

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A post shared by Rebecca Hall (@rebeccahall) 

Rebecca Hall shared pictures of them together on set, writing, “My heart goes out to your family. You will be missed Kaylee.”

A GoFundMe has been set up on behalf of the Hottle family which you can donate to here. There’s also a Meal Train page here to help support the family with meals and food. 

Featured image credit: Rob Latour/Shutterstock/Instagram/@rebeccahall