Jakarta Aktual – 18 June 2026 | An 18-year-old Indian teenager has died in a tragic incident in New York City‘s Central Park, where a horse-drawn carriage suddenly bolted, throwing passengers to the ground. Romanch Mahajan, who was on his first trip to New York with his family, jumped down to try and save his mother, Priya, after she fell out of the carriage.
The driver, who had stopped to take a family picture, had no warning signs that the horse, Sampson, was about to bolt, according to the Transport Workers Union. The horse had been in the park for only six weeks and had a history of being skittish.
Witnesses described the scene as ‘chaotic’ with the horse speeding through the park, crashing into another carriage and sending the 18-year-old passenger flying. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but died later that night.
The incident has raised questions about the safety of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, an industry that has been facing calls to be banned due to concerns over animal welfare and public safety.
The Central Park Conservancy, which supports a ban on horse-drawn carriages, has released a statement calling for an end to the industry, citing the back-to-back incidents as evidence of the need for change.
The NYPD confirmed the man’s death several hours after the incident and said the rest of the family members inside the carriage only had minor injuries.
Christina Hansen, a carriage driver worker, rushed to the scene to help out and checked on the animal, tying it to a nearby pole.
