Teen Tourist Dies After Tragic Runaway Carriage Horse Incident in Central Park

In this latest carriage horse tragedy, the teen, identified in reports as Romanch Mahajan, was visiting New York City’s Central Park from India when the afternoon ride turned deadly. The carriage horse took off after the driver had reportedly dismounted to take a photograph of his passengers.

Video shared by animal advocacy outlet TheirTurn shows the horse running through Central Park with the carriage still attached, kicking up dust as bystanders looked on. Another video shows the cab crashing and tipping over after clipping the wheels of another carriage.  Mahajan suffered a fatal head injury and was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. He later died from his injuries.

Other passengers were reportedly thrown from the carriage or shaken by the crash, though they declined medical treatment, according to reports.

The scene was chaotic, frightening, and painfully familiar to critics who have long warned that horses do not belong in dense urban traffic, surrounded by crowds, vehicles, sirens, construction, and sudden movement.

Authorities are investigating the fatal incident.

The crash came less than a week after another carriage horse, Deniz, collapsed and died while pulling a carriage near Central Park West and 72nd Street. The 16-year-old horse had two passengers in the carriage when he went down.

A necropsy later found that Deniz had ingested a lethal amount of Japanese yew, a highly toxic plant found in Central Park, according to reports. That finding triggered a dispute between the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage drivers, and the Central Park Conservancy over responsibility for the horse’s exposure to the plant.

But for advocates seeking an end to the industry, the larger question remains unchanged: why are horses still being used to pull tourist carriages through one of the busiest cities in the world?

The Central Park Conservancy has reported multiple horse-related incidents in the park. Those include Deniz’s death, a May incident in which a horse was spooked and another carriage overturned, and a January incident involving a horse named Destiny who ran into traffic near Sixth Avenue and West 59th Street. The Conservancy has said they support banning carriage horses.

Horse-drawn carriage rides have operated in New York City for more than a century and remain a familiar tourist attraction. Supporters say the horses are cared for, the industry is regulated, and the trade provides livelihoods for drivers and their families.

Animal protection advocates argue that no amount of nostalgia can make the practice safe or humane. They say the repeated collapses, crashes, runaway incidents, and injuries reveal a system built on forcing large prey animals to work in an environment full of exactly the kind of stimuli that can make them panic.

Tuesday’s fatal crash quickly drew a response from New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman, who issued a joint statement after Mahajan’s death.

“Today’s tragic death of a teenager following an incident involving a horse carriage in Central Park is horrific and heartbreaking,” the statement reads. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones and everyone affected by this devastating loss.”

The lawmakers pointed directly to Ryder’s Law, proposed legislation that would phase out horse-drawn carriages in New York City and replace them with electric carriages.

“It is now time to act,” Menin and Schulman said. “The Council recently introduced Ryder’s Law to address longstanding concerns surrounding the horse carriage industry, and we will hold a hearing on the bill in July.”

They added that the Council looks forward to hearing from stakeholders and reviewing measures to address both horse welfare and public safety concerns.

Ryder’s Law has been promoted by advocates as a way to end the use of horses in the carriage trade while preserving tourism jobs through electric carriage alternatives.

NYCLASS, a leading organization advocating for an end to horse-drawn carriages in New York City, is directing supporters to its Stop Horse Abuse campaign page, where residents can contact City Council members about Ryder’s Law.

The death of Deniz had already reignited a long-running debate over whether New York should finally retire horse-drawn carriages from its streets and parks.

Now, an 18-year-old tourist is dead, and the debate has sharpened into something harder to ignore.

For advocates, the question is no longer whether the carriage horse industry is controversial. It is whether city leaders will act before another horse bolts, another carriage overturns, another body hits the pavement, and another preventable tragedy becomes part of New York’s tourist experience.

The investigation remains ongoing.