{"id":13647,"date":"2026-07-22T14:48:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T09:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=13647"},"modified":"2026-07-22T14:48:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T09:48:44","slug":"child-actor-kaylee-hottle-killed-in-car-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=13647","title":{"rendered":"Child actor Kaylee Hottle killed in car crash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-467e33\" class=\"body-graf\">Kaylee Hottle, a child actor best-known for her role in two \u201cGodzilla\u201d movies, died in a car crash early Tuesday near Frederick, Maryland, officials said.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" 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alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-d44b09\" class=\"body-graf\">She was 18. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7bb33a\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cIt is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away,\u201d the Texas School for the Deaf <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/texasschoolforthedeaf\/posts\/pfbid02i9HFJeCynbnv3c4DoFddcdSc8VMCawkWBk7K4KVpu4GaFxkSMW7TvFbEFCdM4i6wl\" target=\"_blank\">said in a statement Tuesday<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-11e304\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cOur hearts are with Kaylee\u2019s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time,\u201d said the school, located in Austin. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-5d6b5a\" class=\"body-graf\">The Frederick County Sheriff\u2019s Office said a 1995 Honda Accord, driven by a 19-year-old man, traveled off the two-lane road and hit a culvert just before 3 a.m. in Ijamsville.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9aed2b\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cExcessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision,\u201d the sheriff\u2019s office <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frederickcosheriff.com\/post\/fatal-single-vehicle-crash-under-investigation-in-ijamsville?fbclid=IwY2xjawTMiMNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFiblN4a2ZFQzc4T1RzQndvc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoUUquV8RPl8Ci2KvRSARjbrnLI-zQLxDXZ_TDO3tgED59a6j35UemZGM3UA_aem_JvHZuHfLvw5uq1rFaAa8sg\" target=\"_blank\">said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-fca135\" class=\"body-graf\">The driver was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the sheriff\u2019s office said. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-65f038\" class=\"body-graf\">Hottle was one of two passengers in the car, the office said. She was transported from the scene of the crash to a trauma center, where she was pronounced dead. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a87c92\" class=\"body-graf\">The second passenger refused medical treatment at the scene, the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-444cad\" class=\"body-graf\">Hottle was deaf. Her father, Joshua Hottle, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/joshua.hottle.2025\/videos\/1302042002010953\" target=\"_blank\">posted a video on Facebook<\/a> announcing his daughter\u2019s death. In the video, he spoke only in American Sign Language. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-64f6c1\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cI am taking a flight that I never would like to take,\u201d he said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbaltv.com\/article\/video-pilot-injured-after-small-plane-crashes-into-texas-home\/73201383\" target=\"_blank\">NBC affiliate WBAL of Baltimore<\/a>. He said he was flying to Maryland from Texas.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b92626\" class=\"body-graf\">Hottle played Jia in 2021\u2019s \u201cGodzilla vs. Kong,\u201d and reprised the role in \u201cGodzilla X Kong: The New Empire\u201d in 2024. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a82ef6\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cWe recognize this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community,\u201d the school said, noting that counseling services will be available for students and staff who may need them. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c94e0c\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cPlease keep Kaylee\u2019s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,\u201d the school wrote. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-917c25\" class=\"body-graf\">Hottle spoke highly of her school in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/news\/houston-texas\/trending\/article\/kaylee-hottle-deaf-actress-18752370.php\" target=\"_blank\">2024 interview with the Houston Chronicle<\/a>, while also discussing the life being an actor had afforded her as a deaf woman.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-8fbaea\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cI\u2019d like to see more deaf young actresses get motivated when they see me on screen and hopefully they\u2019ll have a chance in Hollywood as well,\u201d she told the outlet. \u201cBut I just hope that they\u2019ll be inspired, especially deaf people, to be inspired to want to be an actor or actress when they see me on screen.\u201d <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a4d051\" class=\"body-graf\">Among those issuing statements of support Tuesday was Oscar-winning actor Marlee Matlin.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbEFc4ZJqU8\/?igsh=emJobXpkYXk0azly\" target=\"_blank\"> Matlin said on Instagram<\/a> that she was honored to meet Hottle last year.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f312f1\" class=\"endmark body-graf\">\u201cI am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle. May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity,\u201d Matlin said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kaylee Hottle, a child actor best-known for her role in two \u201cGodzilla\u201d movies, died in a car crash early Tuesday near Frederick, Maryland, officials said. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. She was 18. \u201cIt is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13648,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260721-Kaylee-Hottle-ch-1313-19e5cd.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13647\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}