Kadance Fredericksen was an 18-year-old girl who overcame childhood trauma, like homelessness and an abusive mother. She was killed in a car crash with a tractor-trailer in Florida. 

Frederickson was the former winner of the Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA title. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, she was driving on Monday on Highway 4 when she collided head-on with a tractor-trailer. The cause of the crash is still unknown and being investigated. The tractor-trailer driver, who suffered minor injuries, was not arrested. 

Frederickson announced on her Instagram post on February 7th that she had received a $40,000 college scholarship.

Kadance founded Kada’s Promise, which is a charity that collected 12,000 teddy bears and blankets for children suffering from abuse or trauma. 

As a child, Fredericksen struggled with homelessness, hunger, and abuse. Her father finally gained custody, and her stepmother later adopted her. Kadance said she was abused and neglected by her biological mother and stepfather, including being groomed by her stepfather. 

In addition to winning the beauty pageant title for Okaloosa County, Fredericksen also won Little Miss Northwest Florida in 2017 and represented her county at the Miss Florida Teen USA pageant last year.

Fredericksen was a senior at Baker School, and she was expected to graduate in a couple of months before the tragic accident cut her life short.

A candlelight vigil was held at her school on Wednesday.

For more information, go to Fox News to read more about Kandance and her story.