Attic vent blocked by vertical gable stud

[boywhocanfly]

I want to install an attic fan, but there is a vertical stud passing right through the center of the gable vent where i'd like to put the fan. There's a single nail attaching it to the ridge and one nail on the bottom attaching it to the top plate. It's turned sideways, unlike the rest of the gable studs, probably to accommodate the vent in it's path. My question is can I cut this and frame it like a window with a header, trimmer, and cripples? There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of weight on it-the ridge is not really resting on it because there's a visible gap between the two.