Teen killed in Central Park horse carriage accident was celebrating high school graduation

Key Points:

• Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old visiting New York City with his family, died after falling from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park when the horse bolted; he reportedly fell while trying to save his mother who also fell from the carriage.
• The carriage driver left the horse unattended to take a photo, violating safety protocols, and has been suspended indefinitely; the horse involved has been retired after only six weeks in Central Park.
• Horse carriage rides in Central Park have been suspended as the Transport Workers Union reviews safety measures, while calls to ban horse-drawn carriages have intensified following this fatal incident.
• The Central Park Conservancy and some city officials argue that horse-drawn carriages pose significant safety risks to both people and animals and support legislation to ban them with provisions for driver job transitions.
• The Indian Consulate is providing support to the Mahajan family, and the tragedy marks the first human fatality involving a Central Park horse carriage in over 150 years, reigniting debates on the practice’s future.