Teenager Dies in Tragic Central Park Carriage Accident After Horse Bolts

A celebratory trip to New York for an 18-year-old Indian student ended in tragedy when a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park turned fatal. Romanch Mahajan, who was in the city with his family to celebrate his high school graduation, died after the horse pulling their carriage bolted unexpectedly. The accident occurred shortly after the driver dismounted to take a photograph of Mahajan and his mother. According to his father, Deepak Mahajan, the horse began to run uncontrollably. His mother fell from the carriage, and Romanch, in an attempt to help her, was thrown to the ground and fatally struck his head. The carriage also grazed another horse-drawn vehicle before overturning, causing minor injuries to the rest of the family. The Mahajan family had arrived from India just days before, and Romanch had recently learned of his acceptance into a university in Jaipur. In response to the tragedy, the company that owns the carriage has indefinitely suspended the driver involved, and the horse will be retired from service. Alexander Kemp, vice president of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents carriage drivers and owners, stated that the union is "absolutely devastated and shocked by this tragedy" and that they have ceased operations to conduct internal reviews of safety protocols. This incident marks the first known human fatality related to a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park in over 150 years. The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park, has called for a suspension of the carriage industry until enhanced safety measures can be implemented. The organization noted that there have been eight horse-related incidents in Central Park over the past 13 months and argued that any other activity posing a comparable risk would be immediately suspended. The conservancy's intervention has reignited the debate surrounding the future of horse-drawn carriages in the park, with a bill to ban them having been under discussion for some time.

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He was shouting: 'Mom!'