Calls to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages Intensify After Teen's Death

New York mayor, other leaders push to ban horse-drawn carriage rides after Indian teen Romanch Mahajan's death.

The death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, an Indian teen, falling from a Central Park horse carriage, strengthened calls to end the horse carriage industry as there have been eight horse-related incidents in Central Park over the past 13 months but this was the first human fatality involving a horse carriage since they were introduced in Central Park more than 150 years ago. There have already been calls to suspend horse carriages as they are a public safety hazard in crowded areas and have already been suspended in other US cities like Chicago and San Antonia.

Romanch Mahajan was on a family trip celebrating his high school graduation and he jumped out of the carriage after his mother fell -- and hit his head on the ground. The mother, father and the younger son escaped with minor injuries while Romanch Mahajan died. Their carriage clipped another horse-drawn vehicle and toppled over.

The family arrived in New York from India on Monday, the same day Romanch learned he had been accepted to a university in Jaipur. They had spent the day visiting many of the city’s popular tourist attractions and were unwinding on a carriage ride when the driver got off to photograph them. Moments later, the accident occurred.

“This incident should be taken very seriously,” Mahajan said. “It took my son's dream away.”

The company that owns the carriage suspended the driver and decided to retire the horse from the business.

“We’re absolutely gutted and stunned by this tragedy. We’ve never had a fatal accident like this before,” said Alexander Kemp, a vice president with the Transport Workers Union Local 100, the labor union representing carriage drivers and owners. “We have shuttered the stables and ceased operations today while we have extensive internal discussions of safety protocols and how they can be improved. ”

City Council leaders said they’d hold a hearing next month on Ryder's Law, the bill backed by the conservancy. Mayor Zohran Mamdani also reiterated his support for ending the industry, a position he campaigned on last year. He said he’d work with the council, the industry and animal welfare advocates and to “deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all. ”

The Transport Workers Union, which opposed past efforts to shut down the industry, backed legislation last week that would establish hitching posts throughout the park so drivers could safely tether and secure their horses, including at popular tourist photo stops.