Kadance Fredericksen – an 18-year-old beauty pageant queen and founder of the Kada’s Promise charity initiative – tragically lost her life in a head-on car crash on a Florida highway.
The horrific tragedy came just one week after being awarded a $40,000 college scholarship, per the Daily Mail.
Fredericksen – a former Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA winner – was driving her sedan on State Highway 4 in Baker, Florida, on Monday when she collided with a tractor-trailer driven by a 56-year-old man, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The truck driver suffered minor injuries.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash.
From Childhood Hardship to Pageant Success
Fredericksen’s journey to success was nothing short of inspirational. Before becoming a beloved pageant competitor and charity founder, she endured homelessness and abuse as a child.
“When I was little, I was abused and neglected by my biological mother and stepfather. During those times, the only thing I had to call my own was a stuffed animal I received as a gift years beforehand,” she told WCJB last year.
After being taken in by her father and adoptive mother, she found stability and turned her pain into purpose, launching Kada’s Promise in 2017.
The initiative provided teddy bears and blankets to children in foster care, abuse shelters, hospitals, and homeless shelters.“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 recalled. “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,” she wrote on the Kada’s Promise website.”
Beyond her work with Kada’s Promise, Fredericksen used her pageant platform to raise $25,000 for the Ronald McDonald House, which provides temporary housing for families with children undergoing medical treatment.
A Promising Future Cut Short
Fredericksen was in her final year at Baker School and had been accepted into nine colleges, with plans to become a veterinarian.
Her bright future was further highlighted when she was awarded a $40,000 scholarship from the Ellison McCraney Ingram Foundation — a fund created in honor of a nine-year-old boy who died from a brain tumor in 2021.
She shared her excitement in her final Instagram post on February 7, writing: “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!”
Community in Mourning
Fredericksen’s sudden passing has left her school, community, and the pageant world in shock.
Baker School issued a statement offering grief counselors to students, saying: “Please keep the family, the town, and the school in your thoughts as they will all miss and grieve this young lady.”
Tributes have flooded social media, with many remembering her for her kind heart, radiant spirit, and dedication to helping others.
“Such a bright future ahead of her. Accomplished so much in her young life. I pray Kada’s Promise will continue to do the great work she was doing,” one Instagram user wrote.
“Fly high beautiful! You would light up any room you were in,” one person wrote.
“Forever a Queen. Rest in peace sweet girl. My heart is broken,” another commented.
From being crowned Little Miss Northwest Florida in 2017 to competing in Miss Teen Florida last year, she carried herself with grace and determination. However, in her short life, Fredericksen’s impact transcended pageantry, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, resilience, and service.
Our thoughts go out to Fredericksen’s family and loved ones at this time.
