New York leaders push to ban horse carriage industry after teen's death

Romanch Mahajan, 18, died Wednesday after he jumped from a horse-drawn carriage that bolted through Central Park without its driver. The teenager was on a family trip celebrating his high school graduation when the accident occurred.

Mahajan's family had arrived in New York from India on Monday, the same day he learned he had been accepted to a university in Jaipur. They spent the day visiting popular tourist attractions before boarding a carriage ride to unwind. The driver got off to photograph the family moments before the horse bolted.

According to his father, Deepak Mahajan, the teenager's mother fell out of the carriage first. Romanch jumped out after her and hit his head on the ground. "He was screaming, 'Mom!'" his father told The New York Times. The family's carriage clipped another horse-drawn vehicle and toppled over. Mahajan's wife and younger son escaped with minor injuries.

Mahajan is believed to be the first person to die in a horse carriage accident since the rides were introduced in Central Park more than 150 years ago, according to the labor union representing the industry and the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the 843-acre park.

The death has intensified calls to ban the attraction from one of New York City's most recognizable destinations. On Thursday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other city leaders vowed to work toward ending the horse carriage industry. The Central Park Conservancy argued that the industry should be suspended until more protections can be put in place.

Mahajan's death was the eighth horse-related incident in the park over the past 13 months, the conservancy said. "The record is undeniable: crashes, runaways, horse deaths, injuries, and now a devastating loss of human life," the group stated.

City Council leaders said they would hold a hearing next month on Ryder's Law, a bill backed by the conservancy that would address safety measures for the carriage industry.