Port Orchard, Wash. — Hundreds gathered Monday to celebrate the life of 18-year-old Rebekah Barrett, the driver in a crash one week ago that also killed her best friend in the passenger seat. The families of Rebekah Barrett and Shanaia Bennett have been at each other's services and have spoken about each other's daughters as if they were their own.
On Monday at Christian Life Church in Port Orchard, Theresa Bennett described how she used to babysit Rebekah. "I entrusted my daughter to her friendship, to her sisterly love," Bennett said.
Friends and family took turns telling stories of Rebekah's way of showing love and acceptance for everyone around her. People talked about her smile lighting up a room.
Rebekah's mother, Rhonda Barrett, brought a framed picture to the podium, of Shanaia and Rebekah side by side. "The reason I'm putting their picture in front of you is they had some challenges in their life. They overcame those challenges," Barrett said. Barrett referred to struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. The night of the crash, the young women were coming from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. "The most wonderful way you can honor them is to stay sober, and to keep your loved ones sober. That's what they wanted most of all in this life before they left," Barrett said.
Rebekah's boyfriend, Robert Rundquist Jr., was driving a pickup truck and playing a dangerous passing game with the girls in their car, according to the Kitsap Sheriff's Office. Rundquist has been charged with vehicular homicide.
KIRO
