'One of a kind': Woman dies after hit-and-run

Elizabeth Brewer, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·2 min read

Dec. 7—TRAVERSE CITY — "Alli" was described by friends, coworkers and colleagues as the kind of person who would always ask a service worker about their day before placing an order.

"Your soul was the purest," one Facebook user wrote in a tribute following her death Monday. "So kind, gentle and one of a kind."

Born on Feb. 20, 1999, Allison "Alli" Jo Baker was raised in northern Michigan. She was working at Grand Traverse Pavilions and living in Long Lake Township at the time of her death.

"On behalf of the organization, we are saddened to hear the news. Alli was a great employee, well-liked and respected," Clayton Wagatha wrote in a statement from Grand Traverse Pavilions. "She will be missed by many."

Hundreds of people expressed their grief about Baker's death on Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor, as well as on local social media pages and groups.

Her family said they will host a visitation for family and friends at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home at 305 Sixth Street from 2 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 11. A memorial service will take place immediately afterward, starting at 3 p.m.

Baker died Monday in the intensive care unit at Munson Medical Center, according to Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office Capt. Randy Fewless. She was 23.

Her death was the result of a hit-and-run crash that took place Friday evening, according to previous Record-Eagle reporting. She was struck by a Honda CRV allegedly driven by Timothy Lyon, 47, also from Long Lake Township, police reports said.

"At this point in time, we believe the accident occurred while she was retrieving mail, which is why she was outside of her vehicle, which was parked in her private driveway," Fewless said.

Detectives said they are still investigating the case, and they have not yet determined exactly where she was when she was struck between her car and the mailbox.

Fewless said the sheriff's office scheduled an autopsy with the medical examiner at the Western Michigan University Department of Pathology in Kalamazoo as part of that investigation.

Lyon was arraigned Monday afternoon on charges related to his alleged involvement in the crash. Those charges include one count of failure to stop or identify after a personal injury accident, one count of lying to a police officer and one count of violating the terms of a restricted license, court records show.

His next court appearance is scheduled for 11 a.m. Dec. 22 in 86th District Court.