89-year-old comedian recovering after she was randomly punched on New York street

NEW YORK (AP) — An 89-year-old comedian is recovering after being randomly punched and knocked to the ground while waiting to cross a street in New York earlier this month.

D’yan Forest said she had just stopped at a coffee shop and was heading to a swimming pool when someone came up to her from behind and hit her in the eye. She lay on the ground in shock as police and paramedics came to her aid.

“I thought I had lost use of the eye because I couldn’t see anything.” Forest said. Her eyesight returned over the next four hours while she underwent tests at a hospital.

Police on Saturday said the female suspect in the July 10 incident had a medium complexion and cornrow braids and was last seen wearing a tank top and shorts with a Jurassic Park logo.

Forest said she has lived in Greenwich Village since 1966 and had never had anything else bad happen to her aside from watching the 9/11 attacks from her roof.

“I walk around the village now and I don’t go near anybody. I don’t want to be near anybody,” she said.

Forest holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest working female comedian. She said her first thought after falling to the ground was whether she would be presentable for her July 29 nightclub show.

But she said her eye is healing.

“My eye was totally red and horrible. But now at least I can go on stage without a black eye,” Forest said.