Death of Central Park horse reignites debate over banning horse carriages in New York City
There are renewed calls to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City after a 16-year-old was killed when his horse-drawn carriage collapsed in Central Park.
A teenage tourist in New York City was fatally injured when he jumped from an out-of-control horse-drawn carriage in Central Park in an attempt to save his mother, the New York Times reported.
Romanchi Mahajan, 18, died on June 17th when a horse-drawn carriage fell while speeding through Central Park, authorities said. According to the Times, the boy was visiting the city from India with his parents and younger brother to celebrate his graduation when the incident occurred.
The incident happened near Cherry Hill, a popular destination in the park, and the horse-drawn carriage driver stopped to take a family photo and left, the teenager’s father, Deepak Mahajan, told the newspaper. While the driver was out of position, the horse suddenly took off and galloped through the park at great speed.
When the carriage lurched forward, the boy’s mother fell from the vehicle and Romanshu Mahajan jumped to help her, the Times reported. The carriage lost control and both men were thrown onto the road.
“We shouted, ‘Help, help!'” Deepak Mahajan said, according to the newspaper. “The son fell to save his mother.”
The Times reported that Romansh Mahajan hit his head on the ground and his carriage collided with another carriage, knocking both horses over and causing the cab to overturn. The father, wife, and second son escaped with only minor injuries.
“This incident should be taken very seriously,” Deepak Mahajan told the paper. “I took away my son’s dream.”
Labor union: “There has never been a fatal accident like this”
Romanchi Mahajan is believed to be the first person to die in a horse-drawn carriage accident at the park, according to the union representing employees in the industry. TWU Local 100 Executive Vice President Alexander Kemp said the union supports the ongoing investigation into the incident.
Mr Kemp previously said that when the carriage “departed for unknown reasons” the carriage’s driver appeared to be “at least an arm’s length away from the horse to take photographs of the passengers”. The horse had only been at the park for six weeks when the incident occurred.
He also said drivers should not get out of their vehicles to take photos, calling the situation “unacceptable.” Mr Kemp said the union had been told the carriage’s owner had suspended the driver indefinitely and planned to retire the horse involved in the accident.
“We are completely devastated and stunned by this tragedy. We have never experienced a fatality like this before,” trainer Kemp said in a statement on June 18. “Today we have closed the stable and ceased operations while we have extensive internal discussions about our safety protocols and how to improve them.”
Kemp said the union is supporting a bill introduced in the New York City Council last week that would “require hitch posts to be installed throughout the park for drivers to tether and secure their horses, potentially including areas where tourists often like to stop for photos (as in this tragic situation).”
Calls to ban horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park resurface after fatal accident
Romansh Mahajan’s death has prompted renewed calls from animal rights activists, local officials and park managers to ban horse-drawn carriage rides in the park.
The park’s nearly 150-year-old carriage industry has come under intense scrutiny following several high-profile incidents, including the death of 16-year-old carriage horse Deniz on June 9. The Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that runs the park, said Romansh Mahajan’s death was the eighth horse-related incident at the park in the past 13 months.
“This is the tragedy we feared when we first called for a ban on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park last year because of the risks they pose to public safety and public health,” the group said in a June 17 statement. “A young man lost his life while coming to enjoy our park. This is an unacceptable price to pay for an outdated industry operating in the middle of one of America’s most heavily used public spaces.”
In response to the incident, the Central Park Conservancy is renewing its call for New York City officials to pass the Rider Act, a bill named after the dead horse, which would ban horse-drawn carriage rides and provide interim job placement services to drivers in 2025.
In response to the deaths of Mahajan and Deniz, New York City Council President Julie Menin and Councilmember Lynne Schulman announced that the City Council would hold a public hearing on the Rider Act in July.
“The time to act is now,” Menin and Schulman said in a June 17 joint statement. “We look forward to hearing from all stakeholders and considering measures to address equine welfare and public safety concerns towards a thoughtful solution to this urgent issue.”
