Teen survives alley run-in with lightning

CHICAGO, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A teenager traveling through a Chicago alley this week didn't run into a mugger, but instead was dazed when struck down by lightning.

The Chicago Tribune said Friday that 14-year-old Jason Torres was bicycling through an alley Thursday when a lightning bolt struck his back, knocking him over and causing him significant pain.

"I don't remember being hit," Torres said. "I was running around (the alley), holding my back. I didn't know what happened.

"It felt like... just being whipped or smacked really hard."

The emergency room physician who checked Torres out after the incident said the teenager's minor injuries were likely the result of an indirect lightning strike.

Nonetheless, Torres admitted he may think twice next time he hears a storm rolling in.

"The odds are kinda big, so I don't really worry about it," Torres told the Tribune. "Maybe I'll think twice."