Godzilla actor dies at 18 after tragic car accident

AFP -- Kaylee Hottle, an 18-year-old actress who appeared in two Godzilla films, died on Tuesday in a car accident in the US state of Maryland, police said.

Hottle and another passenger were in a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man when it veered off a two-lane highway and struck a culvert, according to Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. “Excessive speed is belie­v­ed to be a contributing factor in the collision,” said the force, which responded to the scene around 2:52am (0652 GMT) and is investigating the crash.

Hottle was transported to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead, police said. The driver sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening, while the other passenger declined medical treatment.

The actress, who is deaf, played the major role of “Jia” in Godzilla v Kong and the sequel Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. She was nominated in 2024 for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.