Car, pedestrian accident takes life of Char Wallin

    A tragic accident in Tuscaloosa, Alabama last Thursday took the life of Char Wallin, 45, of Imperial, a well-known community volunteer, wife and mother of three.
    Residents of Imperial, where she’s lived since age 13, were shocked with the news last Thursday, and saddened even more Friday when learning she died from her injuries.
    Funeral services are pending.
    Her husband of 23 years, Steve, said his wife was always involved in something, making food for an event and following their children’s activities.
    Char’s mom, Sharon Green of Imperial, said her daughter was always willing to help.
    “If someone needed something, Char was there,” she said.
    Her mother noted how Char hosted a dinner for the CCS cheerleaders, one of which was daughter Matalie.
    “She spent four hours making cutout photos of all the girls,” she said.
    That’s just the type of person she was, her mom said.
    It was a tragic accident, Steve said, as a car left the roadway  and veered into the sidewalk on which all five of the Wallin family and friend Ryan Bernhardt were walking westbound.
    “All at once the car was there. It could have been all of us,” Steve said.
    He said the sidewalk they were on was about 10 feet wide. They were all walking along and talking, when the eastbound car came onto the sidewalk, hit Char, crossed the median and came to a stop in the westbound lanes of Jack Warner Parkway.
    She was initially taken to DCH Regional Medical Center and later life-flighted to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center. She underwent surgery there, but died of her injuries the next day.
    An autopsy is being performed, Steve said.
    The family was in Tuscaloosa, where the Wallins’ oldest daughter, Matalie, is enrolled at the University of Alabama for her freshman year of college.
    According to the Tuscaloosa News, the accident happened about 7 p.m. local time.
    Steve said they had finished checking Matalie into her freshman dorm and were walking back to their car to go to dinner.
    Their plan was to spend Thursday night there, and have breakfast with Matalie Friday morning before returning home.
    Steve said an investigator contacted him Saturday and said the 30-year-old female driver would face charges. She remained on scene after the accident, and was cooperating with law enforcement, according to a Tuscaloosa News story.
    No other details were available on why the 1999 Buick Century left the roadway.
    Since the accident, Steve said the community here has been amazing to him and his family.
    Char was one of the original Chase County TeamMates board members. Current TeamMates director Sheila Stromberger said hers was one of the first names that came up when they organized in 2014.
    “We discussed who’d be some really good people for the board and Char’s name was at the top,” Stromberger said.

    Citing Char’s ability to get things done, Stromberger added, “She was a great asset in getting TeamMates off the ground.”
    She also served as a TeamMates mentor for several years.
    Stromberger also had another tie with Char, who was a part-time fitness instructor at Stromberger’s Imperial business, Synergy.
    Char taught classes there from 2014-21, Stromberger said.
    “She was a great instructor because of her tons of enthusiasm and was such an inspiration to those taking her classes,” she said.
    On occasion, she was also a substitute teacher at CCS.
    The couple’s three children include Matalie, a 2022 Chase County Schools graduate; Mason, a CCS junior; and Kadence, a CCS eighth grader.