Hundreds Attend Wake For Falmouth High Athlete Killed In Crash

FALMOUTH (CBS) - Friends and family of one of the two Falmouth High School students killed in a car crash last week are saying their final goodbyes.

A wake for 17-year-old James Lavin was held Monday afternoon at the Chapman Cole and Gleason funeral home in town.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for Tuesday morning at St. Patrick Church followed by burial at St. Anthony's Cemetery.

Police say Lavin was driving Thursday when his car went off the road and a hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His passenger, 17-year-old Owen Higgins, died at a hospital.

The best friends had just left hockey practice. Both of them also were members of Falmouth High's state championship football team.

The wake for Lavin started at 4:00 p.m. Monday but people started lining up more than an hour before that. People waited in the cold and at times rain to show the family their son won't be forgotten.

"There have been several busloads of hockey teams that have come into town tonight to pay their respects also," said Falmouth Police Chief Edward Dunne. Student-athletes from Hingham, Marshfield and Framingham were among those who attended.

Students and fellow athletes from Falmouth High School are touched by the outpouring of support.

"Everyone is just coming together," said Falmouth student Alice Pendergast. "It's really impressive for me because we got here right at four and the line was even then extremely long and they've got sports teams, people are here from other towns like I've seen uniforms that don't belong to us."

The crash remains under investigation.