An 18-year-old tourist died after a horse-drawn carriage accident in Central Park, renewing calls to ban the popular New York City attraction.
Romanch Mahajan was visiting the U.S. with his mother, father, and younger brother when the incident occurred. The family had come to celebrate Romanch’s high school graduation and college admission, visiting the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and the 9/11 Memorial before taking a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park on the third day of their trip. Near the end of the ride, the driver got down to take a picture of the family, and that’s when the horse became spooked and bolted. Romanch’s mother, Priya, fell out, and Romanch jumped to help her. He hit his head on the pavement and died in the hospital that night. The carriage toppled over after hitting another carriage, and his father, Deepak, brother Maanik, and mother Priya suffered minor injuries.
The Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents carriage drivers, said the driver was at least “an arm’s length away from the horse.” Vice President Alexander Kemp said, “This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos — ever. We support a full investigation.”
The incident comes at a time when the industry is facing increased scrutiny after a series of mishaps. Earlier this month, a horse ate a plant poisonous to horses and died in the park. Last month, a horse collided with another carriage, and in January, a spooked horse ran into traffic and struck cars.
Horse-drawn carriage rides were briefly suspended following the death and resumed on Tuesday. The owner of the carriage suspended the driver, and the horse was retired.
Deepak Mahajan, the teenager’s father, said the incident should be taken seriously. “It took my son’s dream away,” the New York Times reported.
Possible End of an Era
For years, animal rights groups have advocated for the activity to be suspended. They argue that keeping horses on busy city streets amounts to animal abuse because the animals can be startled by people and cars, potentially causing harm to both animals and humans. They also contend that city traffic is stressful for the animals and forces them to work in inhumane conditions.
Romanch was the first person to die in such an accident since the carriages were introduced 150 years ago. The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park, has also called for a ban on the industry, citing eight horse-related incidents in the park since May 2025. The conservancy argues that horses cannot safely share space with pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists, and called Romanch’s death an “unacceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also stated that the council would work with animal welfare advocates and the industry to “deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all.”
A proposal called Ryder’s Law to ban horse-drawn carriages was already under review before the fatal incident. Council member Christopher Marte said the legislation will be renamed Romanch’s Law in memory of the teenager. Marte said when the bill was introduced, “It takes one second of a horse losing its concentration to run off and injure a driver, a passenger, or just a pedestrian. We have to end it, not only for the horses, because they’re in extreme conditions, but also for the people around them.” The council is expected to take up the bill in July.
Meanwhile, separate legislation introduced to the council proposes improved working conditions and the installation of hitching posts so drivers can safely secure horses and prevent them from bolting unexpectedly. The carriage industry supports that measure, while the labor union argues that horse-drawn carriage rides are a beloved New York tradition and that eliminating them entirely would lead to job losses and hurt small business owners.
