Indian teen killed after startled horse bolts, overturns carriage in New York

An 18-year-old tourist from India died after being thrown from a horse-drawn carriage in New York City's Central Park when the horse suddenly bolted, triggering a chaotic accident that has renewed calls for a ban on the historic carriage industry.

The victim, identified by US media reports as Romanch Mahajan, was riding in the carriage with three other passengers shortly before 3 pm on Wednesday when the horse ran off. Mahajan was thrown from the carriage and suffered a severe head injury after hitting the ground. He was taken to hospital in critical condition but later died. The other passengers declined medical treatment.

According to the Transport Workers Union (TWU), which represents carriage industry employees, the horse had been working in the park for only six weeks. Union officials said the driver had stepped away from the carriage to take a photograph of the passengers when the horse suddenly bolted.

Dramatic videos from the scene showed the carriage speeding through the park as the operator sprinted after it. Two passengers appeared to jump from the moving carriage. The runaway carriage later struck the wheel of another carriage and overturned. The driver eventually caught up with the horse near Tavern on the Green, officials said.

The seven-year-old horse, named Sampson, was not injured and remained in stable condition, according to police and union officials.

"This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos — ever. We support a full investigation," TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp said. He added that the union was devastated by the teenager's death and extended condolences to his family.

Kemp said the carriage owner had indefinitely suspended the driver and that Sampson would be retired from the carriage business. He also raised broader safety concerns in Central Park, saying improvements were needed for all vehicles operating in the park, including e-bikes, delivery vehicles, pedicabs and horse-drawn carriages.

The accident has intensified scrutiny of Central Park's horse-drawn carriage industry, which has faced growing opposition from animal welfare activists and public safety advocates. It came less than a week after another carriage horse collapsed and died while working in the park.

The Central Park Conservancy said it was "absolutely devastated" by Mahajan's death and renewed its call for New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages. The organisation said the tragedy underscored the public safety risks posed by what it described as an outdated industry operating in one of the country's busiest public spaces.

The conservancy urged city lawmakers to pass Ryder's Law, legislation that would phase out horse-drawn carriages while providing alternative employment support for drivers. The bill, named after a carriage horse that collapsed while working in 2022, was reintroduced to the City Council on Thursday after failing to advance last year despite support from animal rights groups and former New York mayor Eric Adams.

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