Well, there are several things that you always ought to provide when describing any event in the sky. First, what was the date of the observation? What time of the evening? What direction were you looking ( preferably the nearest constellation, but ' Looking east about half way up from the horizon to the zenith' would also do in a pinch).
Truthfully, I can only guess what you might have seen. It was not a nova or a supernova because it takes many days to months for such stars to brighten significantly. The next 'astronomical' possibility is a meteor entering the atmosphere almost exactly along your line of sight. This would be rare unless you were observing at a time corresponding to when a major meteor shower is expected. For a list, have a look at a previous question by clicking on Meteor Shower List.
As for man-made objects such as satellites and high-flying planes, you would always be able to detect their motion against the background stars in the sky.
My best quess is a meteor. Perhaps it is best you didn't know about this at the time. You might have made the mistake of trying to run away from the impact site ( the spot where you were standing!) and broken a leg in the dark!!! Most meteors vaporize about 20-50 miles up and never make it to the ground. Unless of course they are golfball-sized or larger, then they can do real damage. I think about 1-2 people in the last 50 years have been injured by either a direct impact or by collateral effects. Next time you go outside, ask yourself if you feel lucky!