Indian teenager dies in Central Park carriage accident while saving mother

Indian <a href="/en/article/indian-teenager-dies-in-central-park-while-trying-to-save-mother" class="nd-inline-link">Teenager Dies in Central</a> Park <a href="/en/article/indian-teen-dies-while-rescuing-mother-from-horse-carriage-&lt;a href=" class="nd-inline-link">accident</a>" class="nd-inline-link"&gt;Horse Carriage Accident While Trying to Save His Mother

New York City’s Central Park became the site of a tragic accident on June 16, when an 18-year-old Indian tourist, Romanch Mahajan, lost his life during a horse-drawn carriage ride with his family. Romanch, who was visiting the city with his parents and younger brother, had asked the carriage driver to take a family photograph during their ride. The driver stopped the carriage to oblige, but the situation quickly turned catastrophic.

According to Romanch’s father, Deepak Mahajan, the horse, identified as Sampson, suddenly bolted while the driver was taking the photo. As the carriage sped out of control, Romanch’s mother, Priya, fell out. In an effort to save her, Romanch also fell from the moving carriage, hitting his head on the pavement. “My son, just to save his mother, fell off,” Deepak recounted. The runaway carriage eventually collided with another carriage and overturned.

Romanch was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries the following day, June 17. The horse, Sampson, was unharmed in the incident.

The <a href="/en/article/family-feud-erupts-over-rs-21-lakh-compensation-for-late-air-force-officer" class="nd-inline-link">tragedy</a> has sparked outrage and renewed calls to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. Alexander Kemp, vice-president of the Transport Workers Union (TWU Local 100), described the driver’s actions as “unacceptable” and confirmed that the driver had been indefinitely suspended by the carriage owner. Kemp also announced that Sampson, who had been working in the park for only six weeks, would be retired.

The Central Park Conservancy extended its condolences to the Mahajan family and criticized the continued operation of horse-drawn carriages in such a busy public space. “A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry,” the organization stated. The Conservancy reiterated its support for Ryder’s Law, a proposed legislation that seeks to ban horse-drawn carriages in the city and assist drivers in transitioning to alternative employment.

This incident comes just days after another horse-related tragedy in Central Park, where a 16-year-old carriage horse named Deniz collapsed and died, reportedly after ingesting a toxic plant.

The Mahajan family’s visit to New York ended in unimaginable heartbreak, with Romanch’s heroic attempt to save his mother costing him his life. The accident has reignited debates over the safety and ethics of horse-drawn carriages in one of the world’s busiest urban parks.