18-Year-Old Tourist Killed in Central Park After Carriage Horse Bolts, Driver Had Left His Post to Take a Photo

Romanch Mahajan came to New York City from India for his family's first visit to the United States. He died at a New York hospital Wednesday after jumping from a runaway carriage in Central Park in an attempt to help his mother.

He was 18 years old.

What Happened

The accident occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 17, according to the New York Police Department. Mahajan, his mother Priya, his father Deepak, and at least one other family member were riding in a horse-drawn carriage near Cherry Hill in Central Park when the driver stopped to take a family portrait.

The driver dismounted to photograph the passengers. According to a representative for the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage industry employees, this is explicitly not allowed.

The horse, named Sampson, bolted. The carriage careened through the park, clipping another carriage before toppling over and shattering, according to Boston 25 News. Witness Ron Pobuda told WABC it "happened so quickly they didn't have a chance to think about running or getting out of there."

When Priya Mahajan fell from the carriage, Romanch jumped out after her in an attempt to help. He hit his head on the sidewalk. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries, as reported by The New York Times and confirmed across AP and CBC.

The other passengers, including his mother, refused medical treatment and escaped with minor injuries, according to The New York Times.

The Horse and the Driver

Sampson had been working in Central Park for only six weeks at the time of the accident, according to Alexander Kemp, the administrative vice president of the Transport Workers Union local chapter, as reported by CBC and AP. Kemp said he is calling for a full investigation.

The driver was indefinitely suspended by the union, according to WNYW. Sampson will be retired from carriage service, Boston 25 News reported.

The Transport Workers Union issued a statement: "We are devastated that a passenger died after injuries suffered today in the accident in Central Park, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family."

A Fraught Moment for a 150-Year-Old Industry

Central Park's horse-drawn carriage business has operated for roughly 150 years. It employs hundreds of drivers and provides work for farm and racing horses. For tourists, it has long been one of the city's signature experiences.

But it has been under sustained pressure. Opponents argue the rides are inhumane to horses and dangerous to the public. The Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the park, came out in support of a ban last summer, according to CBC.

Earlier this month, a 16-year-old carriage horse collapsed and died in the park, adding further momentum to the ban effort. Wednesday's fatality of a human passenger is a different magnitude of consequence.

Kemp, the union official, did not defend the driver's decision to dismount. But he framed the broader problem as a park-wide safety issue, not one specific to carriages. "Safety in the park has been a growing concern among many, and improvements are needed to be made with respect to all vehicles, including e-bicycles, delivery vehicles, pedicabs, and horse-drawn carriages," he said in a statement reported by CBC.

Central Park's loop road is genuinely congested with multiple fast-moving vehicle types, and a runaway carriage in that environment has limited room to stop safely. Blaming the carriage industry alone while ignoring the broader traffic density question would be selective.

That said, the specific cause of Wednesday's accident was a driver who left his position in violation of his own union's rules, with a horse that had been on the job for less than two months. The park's traffic density did not cause Sampson to bolt. A protocol failure did.

What Hasn't Been Established Yet

No criminal charges have been announced against the driver as of June 18, 2026. It is not yet known from these sources whether city regulators have opened a formal investigation, or whether the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which oversees carriage horse licensing, will respond with new rules.

The New York City Council has debated carriage bans repeatedly over the past decade without passing one. Whether Mahajan's death changes the political math in Albany or at City Hall is a genuine open question. His family, visiting from India on what was meant to be a first trip to America, is now burying their son.