Beauty pageant queen, 18, who overcame childhood homelessness, abuse killed in Florida car crash
An 18-year-old beauty pageant queen who overcame childhood struggles including homelessness and an abusive mother was killed in a car crash with a tractor-trailer in Florida.
Kadance Fredericksen, a former winner of the Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA title, was driving Monday on Highway 4 when she collided head-on with a tractor-trailer, according to Florida Highway Patrol. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and the tractor-trailer driver — who suffered minor injuries — was not arrested.
Fredericksen, of Baker, Florida, had recently received a $40,000 college scholarship, she announced in her final Instagram post on Feb. 7.
“I am incredibly grateful to be selected as a recipient of this year’s Ellison McCraney Ingram Foundation $40,000 Scholarship,” she wrote. “This generous support will help shape my future and bring me one step closer to achieving my dreams. Thank you to the Ingram family, the foundation, and everyone involved for this amazing honor!”
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Fredericksen founded Kada’s Promise, a charity initiative that collected 12,000 teddy bears and blankets that were then distributed to children suffering from abuse or trauma.
As a child, Fredericksen struggled with homelessness, hunger and abuse before her father and stepmother — who later adopted her — gained custody. She said she had been abused and neglected by her biological mother and stepfather, including being groomed by her stepfather.
“During many dark times in my early childhood, the only thing that I could call my own or that made me feel safe was a single teddy bear that I received as a gift,” she wrote on the Kada’s Promise website. “I carried him with me from house to house, couch to couch and clutched him tightly in the scariest times. It is from these memories that Kada’s Promise was born.”
In addition to winning the beauty pageant title for her home county, Fredericksen also won Little Miss Northwest Florida in 2017 and represented her county at the Miss Florida Teen USA pageant last year.
She used her pageantry platform to raise $25,000 for the Ronald McDonald House, which seeks to offer temporary housing for families with a child receiving medical treatment for cancer or other diseases.
Fredericksen was a senior at Baker School, where she was expecting to graduate in the next few months before the tragic accident cut her life short.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the tragic loss of Kadance Fredericksen, an exceptional young woman, senior at Baker School, and founder of ‘Kada’s Promise,'” the school wrote on Facebook. “Our hearts go out to her family, friends, and all those who knew and loved her. We also offer our deepest condolences to the students, staff, faculty, and the entire Baker Community as we come together in grief during this incredibly difficult time.”
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“Kadance was a beacon of light in our community, known for her compassion, tireless advocacy for children in need, and unwavering dedication to making a difference,” the post continued. “Through her efforts with Kada’s Promise, she brought hope and comfort to thousands of children experiencing trauma, collecting and distributing over 12,000 teddy bears and blankets to children in need. Her work inspired us all, and her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched.”
A candlelight vigil will be held at the school on Wednesday night.