Teen Dies After Jumping Off Runaway Carriage

Romanch Mahajan, 18, died June 17 in Central Park after jumping from a runaway horse-drawn carriage in what his father described as an attempt to save his mother. The fatal crash, which authorities say involved two collapsed horses and a toppled cab, has renew

A day meant for celebration ended in chaos in Central Park. On June 17, an 18-year-old tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after he fell from a horse-drawn carriage as its horse sprinted through the park, authorities said.

Mahajan was visiting New York City from India with his parents and his younger brother to mark his graduation. The incident happened near Cherry Hill, a popular spot in the park, where the carriage driver had stopped and stepped away to take a photo of the family, according to reporting.

When the driver was out of position, the horse bolted.

As the carriage lurched forward, Mahajan’s mother fell from the vehicle, and Mahajan jumped out in an effort to help her, the reporting said. Both were thrown onto the roadway as the carriage continued out of control.

Mahajan hit his head on the ground before the carriage crashed into another horse-drawn carriage, causing both horses to collapse and the cab to topple over, the reporting said. His father, his wife, and younger son were able to escape with minor injuries.

“It took my son’s dream away,” Deepak Mahajan said in recounting the moment to a reporter, describing how the jump was meant to save his mother. “We were yelling, ‘Help me, help me!” he said, adding: “My son, just to save his mother, he fell off.”

The labor union representing carriage industry employees said the death was unprecedented. TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp said the union supports the ongoing investigation and pointed to details suggesting the driver behavior during the photo stop was improper.

Kemp said the carriage driver appeared to be “at least at arm’s length from his horse to take a photo of his passengers” when the horse “took off for unknown reasons.” He also said drivers are not supposed to dismount from the carriage to take photos, calling the situation “unacceptable.”

Kemp said the horse involved had been in the park for only six weeks when the incident occurred. He added that the union was told the carriage owner has suspended the driver indefinitely and plans to retire the horse involved.

“We’re absolutely gutted and stunned by this tragedy. We’ve never had a fatal accident like this before,” Kemp said in a statement on June 18. “We have shuttered the stables and ceased operations today while we have extensive internal discussions of safety protocols and how they can be improved.”

Kemp also supported a bill introduced before the New York City Council last week that would require hitching posts throughout the park so horses could be tethered and secured—at locations where tourists often stop for photos.

Mahajan’s death has reignited demands from animal rights advocates. local officials. and park management to ban horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park. The Central Park Conservancy. which operates the park. said the incident was the eighth horse-related event in Central Park over the past 13 months.

The Conservancy described Mahajan’s death as the kind of tragedy it feared when it first urged a ban last year. citing risks to public safety and public health. In its statement on June 17, the nonprofit said: “A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America.”.

The debate has intensified after the June 9 death of a 16-year-old carriage horse named Deniz. The Conservancy said scrutiny has grown after multiple high-profile incidents tied to the carriage industry.

In response to the deaths of Mahajan and Deniz. the Conservancy renewed its call for New York City officials to pass Ryder’s Law. a proposed bill named after a horse who died in 2025. If passed, the proposal would ban horse-drawn carriage rides and provide transitional job placement services for drivers.

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Lynn Schulman said the City Council will hold a hearing in July on Ryder’s Law.

“It is now time to act,” Menin and Schulman said in a joint statement on June 17. “We look forward to hearing from all stakeholders and reviewing measures to address horse welfare and public safety concerns as we work toward a thoughtful solution to this urgent issue.”

The sequence of events—an out-of-position photo stop. a horse that bolted “for unknown reasons. ” and a family’s attempt to respond when the carriage surged forward—has forced a high-stakes collision between daily tourist traditions and the reality of what can happen in seconds in one of America’s most visited public spaces.

Central Park horse-drawn carriage Romanch Mahajan NYC Council Ryder's Law TWU Local 100 Alexander Kemp animal welfare public safety