The "horizontal meteor" or skipper is what I would guess. I think these things can even enter and exit the atmosphere if the angle is right.
I remember reading about a large one of these "skippers" that happened in the late 70's on the west coast. It was seen in the daytime. I'm sure I saw the story on a meteor watcher's website, but I can't find it at the moment.
Could you be thinking of the "Grand Teton" or "Jackson Hole" meteor which was pictured on the cover of a magazine? In fact, I kept that cover for quite a few years (Scientific American?), then misplaced it.