Fredericksen, 18, died in a head-on crash at 1:30 p.m. Monday on State Road 4 just east of Hurricane Lake Road. The sedan she was driving collided with a tractor trailer driven by a 56-year-old man from Milton, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. The man received minor injuries in the accident.
According to the FHP, the sedan was traveling west on S.R. 4, approaching Hurricane Lake Road, and the semi-truck, which was hauling woodchips, was traveling east on S.R. 4 when, for unknown reasons, the sedan crossed the center line and entered the eastbound lane, striking the semi head-on.
After the crash, the semi overturned onto its passenger side and spilled its load of woodchips and approximately 100 gallons of fuel onto the roadway. Fredericksen was pronounced deceased on scene.
Fredericksen was a National Honor Society member, a member of the Baker Gatorettes Dance Team, a Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA winner, and the founder of Kada’s Promise, a nonprofit organization that distributed over 15,000 teddy bears and blankets to children who experienced trauma or abuse.
According to information from the National Society of High School Scholars, Fredericksen raised over $25,000 for the Ronald McDonald House through her lemonade stand fundraiser and contributed many other causes, including organizing a suit drive for disabled veterans and volunteering at local shelters and animal clinics.
She earned accolades such as Crestview Citizen of the Year, becoming the youngest recipient at age 12, and eight Presidential Volunteer Gold Service Awards.
