Service on Saturday for Homewood-Flossmoor student who died in post-prom crash
Tom'mya Lyons, or TJ, was remembered by friend Ma'Kiyah Hammons Wednesday as a sweet girl who lit up any room she stepped foot in.
'She was telling everybody that they looked pretty — giving out compliments,' Hammons recalled of Lyons during their prom, which had the theme A Night of Enchanted Elegance. The prom was held from 8 p.m. to midnight the night before at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Lyons was killed around 4:30 a.m. after prom ended, the sole passenger in the vehicle that crashed on the Sibley Boulevard ramp northbound to Interstate 94.
The crash remained under investigation Thursday with Illinois State Police reporting no new information. The 16-year-old male driver of the car was not injured, police said.
Since Lyons' death, Hammons said school has felt 'weird.' She most notices Lyons' absence during passing periods, where the two would usually greet each other one the way to their classes.
'I feel like everybody at the school is just taking it slowly,' Hammons said. 'Everybody has some type of relationship with her. We'll always try to remember her every day.'
Hammons said she met Lyons during their junior year, becoming close with her and her friend group quickly. She said when she heard the news of her death, she didn't believe it until she checked the location and called Lyons' best friend, who was at the hospital to see her.
'We were both just crying on the phone together,' Hammons said.
Noralyn Rivera was hired by Lyons' family just hours ahead of prom to take photos at a sendoff party scheduled for the 18-year-old.
She said she formed a bond with Lyons as she captured special moments of her getting ready for prom and interacting with the about 50 family members who showed up to her sendoff party.
'She was very kind to me — the family was very close,' Rivera said.
She said she received a phone call from Lyons' mother on the day that Lyons died and that it was 'surreal' capturing some of Lyons' final hours, including photos inside of the car where the crash happened.
'I felt appreciative that I was at the forefront of her mind, and that she knew that I did genuinely care, that I wasn't just there for the job,' Rivera said.
Lyons' celebration of life service is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Calvary Assembly of God, 18620 Governors Highway, Flossmoor, according to a flyer shared on social media. Those looking to send flowers or cards to Lyons' family are asked to mail them to Keith McGee Funeral Home at 300 E. 115th St., Chicago.
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