New toxicology results have answered one of the major questions surrounding the July crash that killed 18-year-old actress Kaylee Hottle.

The 19-year-old man driving the car in which Hottle was riding tested negative for both drugs and alcohol, according to authorities in Frederick County, Maryland.

The finding rules out driver impairment from those substances as an apparent factor in the deadly single-vehicle crash.

However, investigators have previously said excessive speed is believed to have contributed to the accident, and the broader investigation into the circumstances of the crash has continued.

Hottle, a deaf actress best known for portraying Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and its sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, died after the vehicle left a rural Maryland road and struck a culvert in the early morning hours of July 21.

She was only 18.

Toxicology Results Come Back Clean

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the driver’s drug testing showed no evidence of drugs or alcohol.

That update closes one part of the investigation that had remained unresolved for nearly two months.

Shortly after the crash, authorities had already ruled out alcohol impairment, but drug-testing results were still pending.

Those results have now also come back negative.

The latest findings mean there is currently no evidence that the driver was impaired by alcohol or drugs when the crash occurred.

The result does not, however, explain why the car left the roadway.

Investigators have consistently said they believe excessive speed was a contributing factor.

Whether the driver will face criminal charges has remained a separate question under investigation.

Crash Happened Before 3 A.M. in Maryland

The crash occurred at approximately 2:52 a.m. on July 21 in the 11400 block of Windsor Road in Ijamsville, Maryland.

According to authorities, a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man from Frederick was traveling on the two-lane road when it went off the right side and struck a culvert.

There were three people inside the vehicle.

Hottle was one of two passengers.

Emergency crews transported her to a trauma center, but she later died from her injuries.

The driver was also taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

A second passenger declined treatment at the scene.

Investigators said from the beginning that excessive speed appeared to have played a role.

No other vehicle has been reported as being involved.

Medical Examiner Ruled Kaylee’s Death an Accident

The Maryland medical examiner later determined that Hottle died from multiple blunt force injuries.

Her manner of death was classified as accidental.

Those findings were released shortly after the crash while authorities continued examining the actions of the driver and waiting for toxicology testing to be completed.

The clean toxicology result now eliminates one possible explanation for the crash but does not erase questions about speed, driving behavior or other factors.

Authorities have not publicly announced a final conclusion regarding potential criminal charges against the driver.

Kaylee’s Father Publicly Forgave the Driver

In the days after his daughter’s death, Kaylee’s father, Joshua Hottle, spoke emotionally about the loss in American Sign Language.

He described receiving the devastating phone call informing him that his daughter had been involved in a serious crash.

Her condition deteriorated while emergency crews were taking her to the hospital.

Joshua later traveled from Texas to Maryland to bring his daughter home.

Despite his grief, he publicly expressed forgiveness toward the young man who had been driving the car.

That response stood out during the early aftermath of the crash, particularly as investigators were still trying to establish whether alcohol, drugs or other factors had contributed.

The new toxicology results provide at least one answer to those questions.

A Rising Career Cut Short at 18

Hottle had already built an unusual Hollywood career before reaching adulthood.

She made her feature-film debut in the 2021 blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong, portraying Jia, a young deaf girl who formed a special bond with Kong.

The character communicated using American Sign Language, allowing Hottle to bring her own lived experience as a deaf performer to the role.

Hottle came from a multigenerational deaf family and was a native ASL user.

Her performance drew particular praise because deafness was incorporated naturally into the character rather than treated primarily as a limitation.

She returned as Jia in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

She was also credited with an appearance in the television series Magnum P.I. and had worked in advertising before entering feature films.

She Was Preparing for Another Movie

Hottle’s acting career was not finished.

At the time of her death, she had reportedly signed on to appear in another film titled What Doesn’t Kill Us.

The project was still in development, with production preparations underway.

That detail has made her death especially painful for fans and people who worked with her.

At 18, Hottle was only beginning to establish what could have become a much longer acting career.

Her performances in the MonsterVerse films had already made her one of the most recognizable young deaf actors in mainstream cinema.

Deaf Community Mourned Her Loss

Hottle had attended the Texas School for the Deaf and remained closely connected to the deaf community.

Following her death, the school expressed condolences and offered support to students and staff affected by the news.

Fellow deaf performers and Hollywood colleagues also shared tributes.

Actors including Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur and Alaqua Cox were among those who publicly mourned her.

Her co-stars remembered her as talented, warm and unusually confident for someone who entered such a large film production at a young age.

Hottle’s role as Jia had also been meaningful to many deaf viewers because audiences saw a deaf character communicating in ASL within one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises.

Investigation Still Focuses on Speed

The clean drug and alcohol results sharpen the focus of the remaining investigation.

Authorities have not suggested that impairment caused the crash.

Instead, excessive speed remains the primary factor publicly identified by investigators.

Exactly how fast the Honda was traveling has not been publicly disclosed.

Nor have authorities announced whether road conditions, mechanical issues or other circumstances contributed.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office previously said the possibility of criminal charges was still being investigated.

That means the toxicology report does not necessarily close the case.

It simply removes drugs and alcohol from the known evidence involving the driver.

One Question Answered, Others Remain

Nearly two months after Kaylee Hottle’s death, investigators now have one clear finding.

The 19-year-old driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

What remains is the larger question of how a late-night drive on Windsor Road ended with a 1995 Honda Accord leaving the roadway and striking a culvert with enough force to fatally injure an 18-year-old passenger.

Investigators believe speed mattered.

Whether that factor ultimately results in charges is still unresolved.

For Hottle’s family, however, the legal outcome cannot change the central reality of the case.

Kaylee had survived the initial crash long enough to be transported toward medical care, but her injuries proved too severe.

A young performer who had already helped expand deaf representation in one of Hollywood’s largest franchises was gone at 18.

The toxicology results may clarify what did not cause the crash.

They cannot change what it took away.