SEEKONK - Even before the funeral procession arrived at St. Mary's Church, a line of hundreds of mourners had wrapped around the church waiting to say goodbye to Rebeckha Whitefield, the 17-year-old Attleboro girl who was killed last weekend in a car accident.

Family and friends filed into the church, passing by an honor guard from her field hockey team wearing Attleboro High School blue and white and holding field hockey sticks aloft.

Many of the mourners were teenagers wearing varsity letter jackets and football sweatshirts in tribute to Rebeckha and her football coach father, Michael Whitefield.

Rebeckha was not only an athlete at Attleboro High, her father said she was a die-hard fan of all the school's sports teams.

"She bled blue. She's an Attleboro girl true and true. She had blue pride," he said. Michael Whitefield said he has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from family, friends, the schools and the city since his daughter died. He said he will never listen to anyone say anything bad about Attleboro kids.

Whitefield said neighbors have mowed his lawn, friends have cleaned his daughter's room, others have cooked food and helped the family along the way with emotional support.

Students helped organize a candlelight vigil Sunday and people stood in line for hours Wednesday night to pay their respects at her wake.

Michael Whitefield said $7,000 has already been donated to a scholarship fund being established in her memory.

Attleboro Police Capt. David Proia said he would "conservatively estimate" the funeral procession from the church to the cemetary at 250 to 300 vehicles, the largest he has ever seen.

"It was quite a tribute," he said.

Police had to block four major intersections along South Main Street to allow the procession to get through.

School Superintendent Pia Durkin spoke at the funeral, saying Rebeckha personified the Attleboro sense of community.

"Today represents a challenge to what the word community really means and what it stands for - as a community of Becky's family, friends, and neighbors, as a community of Attleboro High School and as a community of those that simply wanted to be here today," Durkin said.

"Becky Whitefield was the essence of that sense of community, a vibrant, smiling, kind, young woman who had so many doors waiting for her to open - so many experiences ahead of her. "But in her short time with us, she shone as bright as a burning candle - for everyone who knew and loved her. And it was that love that made her radiant," Durkin said.

Her classmates have been struggling to come to terms with her death, which came after a vehicle she and AHS freshman Nate Birch were traveling in hit a tree on Oak Hill Avenue during a heavy rain storm last Friday night. Birch is in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

Hours after attending the funeral, classmate Joe Travers said the atmosphere at the high school has changed since Rebeckha's death, with teens realizing they have to be careful because tragedy could happen to anyone.

"There is definitely a sad vibe at the school. It's very different," he said.

He said he is trying to organize a memorial concert to raise money for her scholarship fund.

"We were friends since freshman year. She sat at my lunch table. She was a great kid. She had a great personality," he said.

Many of her friends have poured out their emotions on a FaceBook memory page, which had more than 600 enteries as of Thursday afternoon.

Chris Brown of Attleboro High School wrote on the site:

"I can't believe that something like this could happen to someone as good and kind hearted as you Becky. Its not natural, and never like this, no one should go like this. My only comfort is that you are looking down on everyone and smiling your goofy smile.

"Look down on me from time to time and let me know you're still there, I'll never forget you."

"Rest in peace Becky, you are loved and missed."