An 18-year-old tourist died in a runaway carriage accident in Central Park, prompting calls for an outright ban and a City Council hearing next month.
5:24 AM
New York officials are renewing efforts to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park following the death of an 18-year-old tourist in a runaway carriage accident.
The teenager was killed when he jumped from a carriage as its horse sprinted through the park without the driver in control. Cellphone video shows the horse running wild moments after the driver took a photograph. The teen was thrown from the carriage and struck his head on the pavement.
Carriage rides in Central Park were halted entirely through the weekend following the incident. The Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents carriage drivers, announced a "safety stand-down" that remained in effect through Sunday, with no rides offered. During that period, the union said horses would be taken out of the barns for exercise, and drivers would review safety rules and protocols, including how to "secure and maintain control of carriage horse at all times."
Alexander Kemp, administrative vice president with Local 100, said the union was "absolutely gutted and stunned by this tragedy." He stated that the industry had "never had a fatal accident like this before" and that the stables had been shuttered while the union conducted "extensive internal discussions of safety protocols and how they can be improved."
A City Council hearing on the matter is scheduled for next month. Some officials are calling for an outright ban on the carriage industry, while others are proposing alternative approaches. One proposal includes installing hitching posts in Central Park where horses can be secured when passengers get into or out of the carriages or want to take pictures, along with more rigorous training requirements for drivers.
Kemp said he supports legislation to tighten safety standards rather than an outright ban. Carriage driver Christina Hansen, a TWU shop steward, accused animal rights activists of "exploiting" and "politicizing" the tragedy.
The incident has intensified debate over the future of the horse-drawn carriage industry, which has operated in Central Park for decades.
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