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Maryland police are investigating the car accident that led to "Godzilla vs. Kong" actress Kaylee Hottle's death at 18.
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office in Maryland confirmed to USA TODAY that sheriff's deputies and authorities with the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services responded to a single-car crash on Tuesday, July 21, in which Hottle was one of the passengers.
Around 2:52 a.m., a 19-year-old man was driving a Honda Accord, allegedly at "excessive" speeds, before traveling off the right side of a two-lane road and striking a culvert, or tunnel. Hottle was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, while a second passenger declined medical treatment at the scene and the driver went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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USA TODAY has reached out to Hottle's rep for comment.
The young actress, who was deaf, starred in the film and its follow-up, "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire," as an orphaned girl and adopted daughter of Kong expert and linguist Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), who speaks to Kong through sign language.
Hottle also starred in a 2021 episode of "Magnum P.I." as Joon and was attached to "What Doesn't Kill Us," a superhero film that was still in pre-production, according to IMDb.
Hottle's father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed his daughter's death to TMZ, which was first to report the news. He also shared the news of her death in a live video posted on his Facebook page, explaining in American Sign Language that he flew in from Texas to claim his daughter's body.
He added that Hottle would be an organ donor, later praising her as "very, very smart" and "really kind," he signed. "I'm proud of my daughter."
In an Instagram reel, Hottle's mother, Ketsi Hottle, got emotional while sharing a message in sign language. She captioned the post, "Privilege to be your mom, Kaylee Hottle."
'Godzilla vs. Kong' stars react to Kaylee Hottle's death
Kaylee Hottle's costars mourned the actress following her tragic death.
Onscreen mom Rebecca Hall shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos with young Hottle during filming, as well as a shot from the 2024 film with actors Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry.
"Devastated to hear this news," the British actress wrote on Instagram. "My heart goes out to your family. You will be missed Kaylee."
Stevens shared remembrance photos on his Instagram story on July 21, simply with a broken heart emoji.
And Millie Bobby Brown echoed a similar sentiment on her story, sharing Hottle's memorable shot holding a handmade King Kong doll up to the giant ape. She wrote that Hottle will be "deeply missed."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What we know about the car crash leading to Kaylee Hottle's death
