Central Park Carriage Drivers Halt Rides After 18-Year-Old Tourist Dies in Fall
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18
Central Park Carriage Drivers Halt Rides After 18-Year-Old Tourist Dies in Fall
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18
Summary
Horse-drawn carriages were absent from Central Park on Thursday after drivers voluntarily shut down service following the death of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist visiting from India.
The fatal fall happened when a horse bolted as the driver was taking a picture of Mahajan with his family; the medical examiner ruled the death an accident caused by blunt force trauma.
TWU Local 100 said members were "gutted and stunned," adding they had shuttered the stables and were weighing how long the stoppage should last and how the accident could have been prevented.
The death has revived a long-running fight over New York City's carriage trade, giving fresh momentum to activists, some officials and park leaders who want the rides banned.
Will a tourist's tragic death finally lead to a permanent ban on Central Park's horse carriages?
Is the push to ban horse carriages about animal safety or a battle for prime New York real estate?
Central Park Carriage Death: The June 17, 2026 Fatality, Its Aftermath, and the Future of Horse-Drawn Carriages in New York City
Overview
On June 17, 2026, a tragic accident in Central Park occurred when the Mahajan family's horse-drawn carriage clipped another carriage, causing it to topple. Romanch Mahajan was thrown from the carriage, hit his head on the ground, and sustained a fatal injury. He was later pronounced dead at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. This incident, the first human fatality involving a horse carriage in Central Park in over 150 years, has reignited debates about the safety and future of horse-drawn carriages in New York City, leading to renewed calls for legislative action and industry reform.