Miss Teen USA Pageant Queen, 18, Reportedly Dies in Florida Car Crash: ‘A Beacon of Light’

• Kadance Fredericksen, who currently held the Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA title, has died in a car crash in Florida at age 18, it’s been reported
• “Our pageant community has lost a beautiful soul – one who was a true light in this world,” a tribute on the Miss Florida USA Instagram page read
• The late teen was killed in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer in Santa Rose County on Monday, Feb. 17, per WKRG

A Miss Teen USA pageant queen has died in a car crash in Florida, according to reports. She was 18.

On Monday, Feb. 17, Kadance Fredericksen — who was the Miss Okaloosa County Teen representative at the 2024 Miss Florida Teen USA pageant — was killed when her vehicle crashed into a tractor-trailer in Santa Rosa County at around 1:30 p.m. local time, per WKRG.

The outlet reported the fatal collision occurred at Highway 4 and Hurricane Lake Road, stating that family members had identified the victim.

Fredericksen, who was a senior at Baker School, had just received nine college acceptances and was planning a career helping animals as a veterinarian, the family told the station’s News 5.

Local outlet WEAR-TV, citing the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), said the cause of the crash continues to be investigated. The station added that the tractor-trailer was being driven by a 56-year-old man from Milton.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information.

The Miss Florida USA Instagram account confirmed the tragedy, writing alongside multiple photos: “It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we share the passing of one of our beloved delegates, Kadance Fredericksen.”

“Our pageant community has lost a beautiful soul – one who was a true light in this world. She was ambitious, driven, kind, and a leader among her pageant sisters,” the post continued.

“In times of grief, we are reminded to love one another and cherish each day as a gift. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and all who are mourning this devastating loss. May we honor her memory by carrying forward the light she so effortlessly shared with the world and our Florida pageant community,” the message, that was signed off by the Miss Florida and Miss Florida USA Family, added.

“Forever our Queen ️,” the caption said.

The victim’s mom, Lisa Fredericksen, described her daughter as “the light” of she and her husband’s lives to WEAR-TV.

Fredericksen was the founder of Kada’s Promise; a program that she began in 2017 to provide teddy bears and blankets to children in foster care, homeless shelters, abuse shelters and hospitals, per the website.

The site confirmed that Fredericksen had also once been “in an abusive situation in her biological mother’s home” and had spent “most of her early years” struggling with “hunger, homelessness and being groomed by her biological mother’s husband.”

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Fredericksen was then adopted by her stepmother (Lisa Fredericksen) in 2017, living with her and her biological father.

Fredericksen’s pageant coach, Michelle Watts, was among those paying tribute to the late teen, saying, “Even though she passed away at 18 years old, literally, her life story and her life start song still sings,” per WKRG.

“She is going to have such a legacy behind her,” Watts added, according to the outlet.

Baker School, where Fredericksen was a student, called her an “exceptional young woman” in a Facebook post on Tuesday, writing, “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,” calling it a “heartbreaking time.”