A teenage tourist from India lost his life on Wednesday afternoon after a carriage horse in Central Park became startled and bolted, causing a fatal accident. The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. near 71st Street and Centre Drive, according to police and sources.
Driver left carriage to take photo
The carriage operator had stepped away from the horse, Sampson, to photograph the passengers, leaving the animal unattended. Witnesses said the horse suddenly became spooked and took off at high speed. Tatianna Bresler, an employee at Tavern on the Green, described the scene: “The horse got scared and ran super fast.” She called 911 immediately after hearing screams and seeing the crash.
Bresler noted that a bystander managed to slow the runaway horse before the carriage flipped. “The immediate reaction was just like ‘oh my god, oh my god my god’ like covering my eyes because I thought maybe someone had gotten smushed or something,” she said.
Victim identified
The victim, Romanch Mahajan, a 17-year-old from India, was thrown from the carriage and struck his head on the ground. The carriage then collided with another carriage’s wheel and overturned, according to the Transit Workers Union (TWU). Mahajan was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he later died. The other two passengers were unharmed.
Dramatic video footage shows the operator sprinting after the speeding carriage as Mahajan falls to the ground. The driver eventually caught up to the horse near Tavern on the Green. The horse, described as seven years old, appeared stable and uninjured.
Union calls for investigation
TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp condemned the driver’s actions. “This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos – ever. We support a full investigation,” he said. Kemp expressed devastation over the passenger’s death and offered condolences to the family. He also noted that the carriage owner had suspended the driver indefinitely and planned to retire the horse from service.
The union highlighted broader safety concerns in the park, calling for improvements regarding all vehicles, including e-bikes, delivery vehicles, pedicabs, and horse-drawn carriages.
Witness account
Helen David, a pedicab driver, rushed to the chaotic scene and found the victim’s family distraught. “I saw the paramedics. I saw the ambulance. I saw everybody’s trying to, like, assist the person,” she said.
The tragedy has reignited calls from activists and some lawmakers to ban horse carriages in New York City.
