Published July 22, 2026
Newly released dispatch audio has revealed heartbreaking details from the fatal crash that claimed the life of Godzilla vs. Kong actress Kaylee Hottle.
As per dispatch recordings obtained by Page Six, first responders arriving at the Maryland crash scene urgently searched for someone who could communicate with the deaf actress.
“If anybody has access to the interpreter app on the phones, can you please start this way? Because we need a sign language interpreter,” one dispatcher said as crews worked to assess those involved.
The audio also indicates Kaylee was “unconscious” when emergency personnel arrived.
Responders described “heavy front-end damage,” saying the vehicle had left the roadway and traveled about 10 feet into a culvert.
Medics were also called back to evaluate another passenger complaining of rib pain.
Authorities later contacted Kaylee’s father, Joshua Hottle, who shared the devastating news in an emotional ASL video.
“I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” he wrote while traveling to Maryland after learning his daughter's heart stopped on the way to the hospital.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said the single-vehicle crash happened around 2:52 am on July 21 in Ijamsville, Maryland.
Investigators believe a 1995 Honda Accord, driven by a 19-year-old man, veered off the road and struck a culvert, with excessive speed believed to be a contributing factor.
The driver survived with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, while another passenger declined treatment. Kaylee was taken to a nearby trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead.
The investigation remains ongoing as fans continue mourning the loss of the young actress, who touched audiences through her unforgettable role as Jia.