A tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday when an 18-year-old lost his life after a horse-drawn carriage unexpectedly bolted through Central Park in New York City. The runaway carriage collided with another, resulting in an overturn, as reported by the Central Park Conservancy.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson informed the media that the “investigation is still ongoing.”
The victim, Romanch Mahajan, was an 18-year-old tourist from India enjoying a visit to NYC. He sustained fatal injuries after being thrown from the carriage during the afternoon mishap near Cherry Hill at the intersection of West 72nd Street and West Drive.
Officials detailed that the carriage, which was carrying passengers at the time, broke loose and sped down West Drive. It subsequently struck another carriage and overturned near the popular spot of Tavern on the Green.
Emergency personnel rushed to the scene where the overturned carriage lay, following the tragic collision that led to the fatal injury of Romanch Mahajan. The incident has left many in shock and mourning. (WNYW)
PIX11 News previously reported that Mahajan was transported to a local hospital in critical condition following the crash.
“We are absolutely devastated to learn that Romanch Mahajan, the 18-year-old visitor injured in today’s carriage incident, has died,” a Central Park Conservancy spokesperson told News Media. “On behalf of everyone at the Central Park Conservancy, our deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this unimaginable time.”
Officials have not said what caused the horse to become spooked.
The fatal crash prompted renewed scrutiny of New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry, with both the union representing carriage drivers and the Central Park Conservancy calling for changes following the incident.
A view of Central Park in Manhattan, N.Y., where 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan died after a horse-drawn carriage overturned Wednesday. (iStock)
Alexander Kemp of TWU Local 100, the union representing horse-drawn carriage drivers and owners, said preliminary information alleges the driver may have stepped away from the horse to take a photo before the animal took off.
“It appears the driver was at least at arm’s length from his horse to take a photo of his passengers in the carriage,” Kemp told News Media in an earlier statement. “This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos – ever.”
The union said it supports a full investigation into the incident and called for enhanced driver training, tougher examinations and additional rules governing the introduction of new horses into the business.
The Central Park Conservancy, which has long opposed horse-drawn carriages in the park, said Mahajan’s death underscored its concerns about public safety.
“This is the tragedy we feared when we first called last year for horse carriages to be banned from Central Park due to the risks they pose to public safety and public health,” the spokesperson said.
“A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America.”
A horse-drawn carriage travels through Central Park in New York City in 2024. An 18-year-old passenger was killed Wednesday after a carriage reportedly bolted and overturned in the park. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, File)
The conservancy renewed its call for New York City officials to pass Ryder’s Law, which would ban horse-drawn carriages and provide transitional job placement services for drivers.
“Every day horse carriages are in the park is a day the safety of New Yorkers and visitors is in jeopardy,” the spokesperson said.
According to the conservancy, Wednesday’s crash was the eighth horse-related incident in and around Central Park during the past 13 months.
The incident came just days after a carriage horse named Deniz collapsed and died near West 72nd Street and West Drive while pulling tourists through the park.
Another carriage reportedly overturned in May after a horse became spooked and struck a second carriage.
News Media has reached to the NYPD and TWU Local 100 for additional comment.
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