Car Pins Du Quoin Woman Trying to Retrieve Coin Purse

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ A Du Quoin woman trying to find and retrieve a coin purse she thought she had left on the roof or hood of her car, was struck and pinned by the car in downtown Christopher early this morning.

Christopher Chief of Police James Trogolo said the incident happened at 4:25 a.m. today as Betty J. Cook, 80, a Du Quoin City Lake resident, was going to or from her job at a nursing home in Zeigler.

Chief Trogolo said the woman had stopped at a convenience store in the community.

At the intersection of Rt. 148 and Market Street (near the Dairy Queen) in downtown Christopher she worried that she had left her coin purse on top of the car.

There was no traffic at the intersection, so the woman stepped out to check. As she went around to the back of the car, the vehicle jumped into gear and struck her, pinning her leg.

A passerby called Emergency 911, and Christopher fireman arrived to lift the car off her leg.

Mrs. Cook was taken by ambulance to Herrin Hospital.

All concerned--the passerby, the police officer and firemen-- were thoughtful and caring in going about their work, said Trogolo.

The woman is said to be in satisfactory condition. It is not known if the purse was found.

Trogolo said he was told that the determined woman had retired once, but decided to go back to work and took a job at a Zeigler nursing home.