Teens Trapped On Six Flags Rollercoaster For Three Hours Thought They Were Going To Die

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Former President George W. Bush photobombs a sports reporter; eight people were trapped on a Six Flags Over Texas rollercoaster for three hours; U.S. Rep. Al Green gets lynching threats following calls for President Donald Trump's impeachment; and more.

A roller coaster at Six Flags over Texas has been reopened after eight passengers became stuck on it for more than three hours Friday night.

A Six Flags spokesperson said high winds triggered a safety stoppage on the park’s newest ride, The Joker, and that engineers have thoroughly inspected the ride since the incident.

Christian Chaney was one of the passengers stuck on the ride. She told WFAA-TV she thought she was going to die.

"There was lightning and we didn't think anyone knew we were up there," she said. "All eight of us were screaming at the top of our lungs, trying to get their attention, trying to get them to say something, and we didn't hear from Six Flags, from anyone."

Chaney said Six Flags officials didn’t contact the riders until about 25 minutes into the stoppage.

Firefighters from the Arlington Fire Department were dispatched to the amusement park at around 12:30 a.m., and a technical rescue team managed to remove the passengers by 3:40 a.m. No one was injured. But Chaney said the park should not have allowed people onto the ride with a severe thunderstorm rolling through the area.

This is apparently not the first time a Joker ride has broken down at a Six Flags park. CBS News reports authorities in Maryland had to rescue 24 people trapped on the coaster for several hours Thursday at Six Flags America. [The Dallas Morning News]

• U.S. Rep. Al Green was threatened with lynching after he called for President Donald Trump’s impeachment on the House floor last week. At a town hall meeting in Houston over the weekend, the Texas Democrat, who is black, publicized voice messages he had received, which containgraphic racial slurs. Green was the first member of Congress to call for Trump's impeachment, citing the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Following the threats, Green said he’s not going to be intimidated. “We are not going to allow this to cause us to deviate from what we believe to be the right thing to do, and that is to proceed with the impeachment of President Trump." [Houston Chronicle]

• A federal judge has thrown out a discrimination case brought by the family of a Muslim student whose homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb. In 2015, Ahmed Mohamed was arrested at MacArthur High School in Irving after his teacher said the clock looked like an explosive device. U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay ruled Thursday that there was no evidence of racial or religious discrimination. He also wrote in his ruling that the family's suit failed to show that Ahmed's arrest violated his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure. Ahmed, known as "clock boy," was originally charged with having a "hoax bomb, but those charges were later dropped. A family attorney said they will file a new lawsuit. [The Dallas Morning News]

• Former President George W. Bush photobombed a reporter at a Rangers game Wednesday. In the stands, Bush walked behind reporter Emily Jones as she was talking to the camera, and offered up a casual "Hey." [Bleacher Report]

• What a good boy! A service dog for a Fort Worth high schooler got his own yearbook picture. The golden retriever, named Soldier, began going to school with Kathryn Campbell after she started having seizures at the age of 10. Campbell is now a freshman at Timber Creek High School, and Soldier has been by her side as an active member of her classroom all year. He’s able to detect seizures before they happen, allowing Campbell’s nurse to get oxygen and rescue medication ready in time. [NBC 5]

The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.