Carrs bagger hospitalized after parking lot accident

PALMER — A longtime bagger at Carrs with a lot of friends in the community was hospitalized Friday after he was hit by a car in the parking lot.

James “Bim” Hoylman, 61, had multiple broken bones, said his niece, Tina Everly, by phone from his room at Alaska Regional Medical Center in Anchorage.

“They did the operation yesterday on his shoulder and replaced his hip,” she said. As for his collarbone, “it was broken in three places so they had to put a plate in and some screws.”

Despite all that, she said, his spirits are high.

“He’s actually been doing really well. Today is the roughest day we’ve had,” and even then, when asked how he was doing, Hoylman said he was good and that hospital staff were treating him fine.

Everly said her uncle has been a bagger at Carrs for 13 years. Before that he worked at McDonald’s as a janitor for 10 years. In that time he’s made a lot of friends.

“He’d never forget a birth date or an anniversary, he gets everybody cards or get well cards if he hears they’re sick,” she said.

In a press release, the Palmer Police Department identified the man that hit Hoylman as Mark R. Wellman, 28, of Palmer. The press release does not indicate that any criminal charges were pressed. The state’s online database of court records does not contain a current listing for Wellman.

Linda Combs, an active Palmer community member and wife of a former mayor, wrote a letter saying how sad she was to hear what had happened to Hoylman. She said he is one of her very favorite people in the city.

“Frankly, seeing Bim … is one of the delights of an otherwise bothersome chore for me; grocery shopping,” Combs wrote. “People like Bim make Palmer a wonderful place.”

Combs suggested that her neighbors buy Hoylman cards and balloons to be sent to his hospital room. They can leave them at the customer service desk at Carrs.

Everly said he’d already gotten 15 cards and a big floral bouquet from Carrs.

“And he loves them, so keep them coming,” she said.

He’d also received a number of visitors.

“He’s happy to see people, so that’s good,” she said.

Anyone who wants to help him with health care costs can ask to donate to the James Hoylman account at Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union.

On Facebook after the Frontiersman posted a short notice of what had happened, 10 of his neighbors wrote in to share their concern.

“I have had Bim help me with my groceries many times!!! He is always so pleasant & helpful!! I hope he has a speedy recovery!!” wrote one.

“He deserves all the balloons in the world to uplift his spirits,” wrote another.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.