A tragic accident in Central Park has reignited debate over the future of New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry after an 18-year-old Indian tourist lost his life in a runaway carriage incident.
The victim, Romanch Mahajan, was visiting the United States when the accident happened on Wednesday afternoon. According to reports, Romanch Mahajan was travelling in a horse-drawn carriage with three other passengers when the horse suddenly bolted and ran out of control.
Videos shared online show the carriage speeding through the park while the driver chased it on foot. Two passengers are said to have jumped from the moving carriage to save themselves.
Mahajan was thrown from the carriage and suffered a severe head injury. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition but later died.
According to the Transport Workers Union, the driver had stepped away from the carriage to take photographs of passengers when the horse bolted. The union said drivers are not supposed to leave carriages unattended and has supported a full investigation. The driver has reportedly been suspended indefinitely.
The horse involved, a seven-year-old named Sampson, was not injured but is expected to be retired from carriage service.
The tragedy has drawn even more attention because another carriage horse reportedly collapsed and died in Central Park just days earlier.
As a result, calls for a complete ban on horse-drawn carriages are growing louder. Animal welfare and public safety groups argue that the industry is outdated and has faced repeated concerns over both animal treatment and public safety.
However, supporters of the carriage industry argue that thousands of rides take place safely every year and that one incident should not end a profession that has existed in New York for generations.
Here’s a video of the horse breaking free and the carriage driver chasing after it.
A person comes jumping/falling out of the carriage at the end of the clip. pic.twitter.com/BZmEOXqhxC
— Gus Saltonstall (@GusSaltonstall) June 17, 2026
