New York Mayor, Other Leaders Push To End Horse Carriage Industry After Indian Teen's Death

NEW YORK — A teen from India who was killed erstwhile a Central Park carriage equine bolted from its driver was connected a family travel celebrating his precocious schoolhouse graduation and died trying to prevention his mother.

Romanch Mahajan, 18, jumped retired of nan carriage aft his mother fell retired and deed his caput connected nan ground, his father, Deepak Mahajan, told The New York Times.

“He was screaming, ‘Mom!’” nan young man’s begetter told nan newspaper. Mahajan said he, his woman and younger boy escaped pinch insignificant injuries, though their carriage clipped different horse-drawn conveyance and toppled over.

The family arrived successful New York from India connected Monday, nan aforesaid time Romanch learned he had been accepted to a assemblage successful Jaipur. They had spent nan time visiting galore of nan city’s celebrated tourer attractions and were unwinding connected a carriage thrust erstwhile nan driver sewage disconnected to photograph them. Moments later, nan mishap occurred.

“This incident should beryllium taken very seriously,” Mahajan said. “It took my son’s dream away.”

The institution that owns nan carriage progressive successful nan fatal clang has besides suspended nan driver indefinitely, and nan equine will beryllium retired from nan business, according to nan national representing nan industry.

“We’re perfectly gutted and stunned by this tragedy. We’ve ne'er had a fatal mishap for illustration this before,” said Alexander Kemp, a vice president pinch nan Transport Workers Union Local 100, nan labour national representing carriage drivers and owners. “We person shuttered nan stables and ceased operations coming while we person extended soul discussions of information protocols and really they tin beryllium improved.”

The Central Park Conservancy, which manages nan 850-acre park, confirmed that Mahajan’s decease is believed to beryllium nan first quality fatality involving a equine carriage since they were introduced successful Central Park much than 150 years ago.

The statement besides called for nan manufacture to beryllium suspended until much protections could beryllium put successful place, noting that location person now been 8 horse-related incidents successful Central Park complete nan past 13 months.

“If immoderate different activity successful nan Park posed a comparable consequence to visitors, it would beryllium suspended instantly while steps were taken to reside those dangers,” nan statement said successful a connection Thursday.

The influential nonprofit revived nan sounded statement complete nan carriages erstwhile it weighed successful connected nan rumor for nan first clip past year, throwing its support down a long-simmering measure that would prohibition equine carriages and thief drivers modulation into caller jobs.

The statement based on that nan carriages are a nationalist information hazard successful nan progressively crowded park, noting that different U.S. cities, including Chicago and San Antonio, person besides precocious done distant pinch nan nostalgic rides.

New York City leaders, meanwhile, vowed to activity to put an extremity to nan 150-year-old manufacture successful nan aftermath of Mahajan’s death.

City Council leaders said they’d clasp a proceeding adjacent period connected Ryder’s Law, nan measure backed by nan conservancy.

“The clip to enactment is now,” Council Speaker Julie Menin posted connected nan societal level X.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani besides reiterated his support for ending nan industry, a position he campaigned connected past year. He said he’d activity pinch nan council, nan manufacture and animal use advocates and to “deliver a conscionable modulation that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages successful Central Park erstwhile and for all.”

Horse carriages, which costs astir $72 for nan first 20 minutes, were not moving Thursday successful nan park, which sees millions of visitors each year.

The Transport Workers Union has opposed past efforts to upwind down nan industry. But connected Thursday, it backed authorities introduced past week that would found hitching posts passim nan parkland truthful drivers could safely tether and unafraid their horses, including astatine celebrated tourer photograph stops.

The manufacture has agelong been seen arsenic a quaint attraction that offers visitors a romanticist remnant of a bygone New York, while providing hundreds of jobs to drivers, on pinch galore workplace and racing horses. Opponents, though, kick nan rides are some inhumane to horses and a threat to people.

Marcelo and Ramer constitute for nan Associated Press. Ramer reported from Concord, N.H.