Photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP / Getty Images
An 18-year-old tourist was killed Wednesday (June 18) after a horse-drawn carriage suddenly bolted and overturned in New York City's Central Park, according to the New York City Police Department and the Central Park Conservancy. The incident occurred near Tavern on the Green around 2:45 p.m., when the horse, named Sampson, became startled as a family was getting back into the carriage. The carriage driver was not inside at the time, reportedly stepping away to take a photo of the passengers, when the horse took off for unknown reasons and collided with another carriage, causing it to flip over with people still inside.
The victim, identified as Romanch Mahajan, was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died from his injuries, police confirmed. No other people were seriously injured, and the horse is reported to be unharmed. The driver has been suspended indefinitely by the carriage owner, and the horse will be retired from service, according to statements from the Transport Workers Union of America.
Union officials noted that drivers are not supposed to leave the carriage unattended to take photos, and they support a full investigation along with enhanced training and stricter safety rules. The Central Park Conservancy, which has previously called for a ban on horse-drawn carriages, renewed its demands, stating, "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." The conservancy offered condolences to Mahajan's family and urged passage of Ryder’s Law, which would ban horse carriages from Central Park.
The New York City Police Department's investigation into Wednesday's incident is ongoing. No arrests have been made as of Thursday morning.