Kaylee Hottle, a Deaf actress who played Jia in the films 'Godzilla vs.Kong' and its sequel, has died at the age of 18 following a severe car accident in Maryland.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed her death via an American Sign Language livestream on Facebook, revealing she was a passenger in a Honda Accord that left the road in Ijamsville around 3am and struck a culvert.She was pronounced dead at a trauma centre after sustaining critical injuries.The 19-year-old driver involved sustained non-life-threatening wounds, while another passenger declined medical treatment.Authorities suspect excessive speed contributed to the crash, though the incident remains under investigation.Hottle, who graduated from the Texas School for the Deaf, was celebrated for her role in promoting Deaf representation in media.Her character, Jia, symbolised bravery and connected with Kong through sign language, prompting co-stars to learn ASL during production.She received a Saturn Award nomination for her performance and advocated for inclusive representation of the Deaf community and Asian Americans.The tragedy has left her family, friends, and colleagues in profound grief.