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An 18-year-old man was killed Wednesday after a horse-drawn carriage became startled and bolted through New York City 's Central Park before colliding with another carriage and overturning, according to the Central Park Conservancy.
A New York City Police Department ( NYPD ) spokesperson told Fox News Digital an "investigation remains ongoing."
Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist visiting NYC from India, suffered the fatal injuries after falling from the carriage during the afternoon incident near Cherry Hill at West 72nd Street and West Drive.
Authorities said a horse-drawn carriage carrying passengers broke free and raced down West Drive before striking another carriage and flipping over near Tavern on the Green.
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Emergency responders gather around an overturned horse-drawn carriage in Central Park after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan was fatally injured when the carriage reportedly collided with another carriage and flipped over. (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 Fox News Digital. "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.
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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 Fox News Digital 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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
Fox News Digital has reached to the NYPD and TWU Local 100 for additional comment.
Brittany Miller is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital. Tips can be sent to brittany.miller@fox.com and @BrittMillerFox on X.
Read the full article at Fox News (US) →📄Source document: Transport Workers Union Local 100
4 reports
ABC News (US)IndependentCenter2 days agoAn 18-year-old Indian teen, Romanch Mahajan, was killed in a horse carriage accident in Central Park while attempting to save his mother during the incident. The family had arrived in New York for a celebration of his high school graduation and acceptance into a university. The carriage driver has been suspended, and the horse involved will be retired. The incident has prompted calls from New York City officials to reconsider the horse carriage industry.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a factual account of an incident involving a horse carriage accident resulting in a fatality. It includes quotes from multiple parties, including the victim's family, the carriage company, and the transport workers' union. There is no overtly biased language, one-sided sourcing,
Official sources cited
- organisation Transport Workers Union Local 100
- organisation The New York Times
Breitbart NewsIndependentCenter3 days agoAn 18-year-old tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after being thrown from a runaway horse-drawn carriage in New York City's Central Park. The incident occurred when the horse, named Sampson, became spooked and bolted while the victim and his family were riding near Tavern on the Green. Video footage captured the horse running, the carriage tipping over, and the victim being thrown from the vehicle. The driver was reportedly not in the carriage at the time and was allegedly taking photos of passengers. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a straightforward account of a tragic accident without overtly favoring any political perspective. It includes details from multiple news outlets (ABC 7, CBS New York, USA Today) and quotes from a union representative, providing a balanced narrative focused on the event itself.
Fox News (US)IndependentCenter3 days agoAn 18-year-old Indian tourist, Romanch Mahajan, was killed after a horse-drawn carriage he was riding in became startled, bolted through Central Park, collided with another carriage, and overturned near a popular area of New York City. The incident occurred near Cherry Hill at West 72nd Street and West Drive. Authorities stated that an investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a tragic accident involving a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park without taking a stance on any political issue. It provides factual details about the incident, including the victim's identity, location, and the status of the investigation. There is no evident framing that偏向
Official sources cited
- organisation Central Park Conservancy
- organisation New York City Police Department (NYPD)
Associated PressIndependentCenter3 days agoA teenager has died after being thrown from a horse-drawn carriage in New York City's Central Park.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a tragic incident involving a teenager's death in Central Park without any apparent political framing, bias, or ideological emphasis. The content focuses solely on the event itself and does not include commentary, opinion, or context that would suggest a particular political倾向
United States