Smoking man clipped by passing train

A southern Illinois man will probably pay more attention the next time he lights a cigarette near railroad tracks. Authorities said 25-year-old Brandon Robles escaped serious injury early Sunday when he was clipped by a passing Union Pacific train when he stopped near the tracks for a smoke.

Workers on the train told authorities they thought they'd hit a man, launching a search that included dogs. But nobody was found.

Robles had managed to walk home, only to call emergency dispatchers hours later to report that he couldn't get out of bed. He was treated at a hospital. Robles told investigators he'd been drinking heavily and saw the train approaching when he stopped at the tracks for a cigarette.