A TEENAGE tourist has died after being violently thrown out of a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park.
The horse pulling the traditional coach suddenly became startled and bolted, causing the carriage to tip over with the 18-year-old hitting the ground and suffering fatal injuries.
The Indian tourist, identified as Romanch Mahajan, was travelling alongside three others through the famous green space in New York City when the coach driver stopped to take a photo, according to witnesses.
As the snap was taken, the horse appeared to get spooked and with the driver not able to restrain the animal it quickly galloped forwards.
The horse was seen clipping another carriage at speed before toppling over when people tried to slow it down, New York officials confirmed.
Shocked onlooker Tatianna Bresler told the New York Post: “The horse got scared and ran super fast.”
The 20-year-old said she called 911 as soon as she saw the crash.
“The immediate reaction was just like ‘oh my god, oh my god my god’ like covering my eyes because I thought maybe someone had gotten smushed or something,” she said.
Emergency crews rushed the man to hospital where he was pronounced dead after sustaining a fatal head wound.
None of the other passengers suffered any injuries.
The seven-year-old horse, named as Sampson, was stopped in the park and was uninjured.
Animal rights groups and local officials have now ordered an investigation into the tragedy.
Alexander Kemp, vice president of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, said in a statement to local media that the driver shouldn’t have stepped away from the carriage for the photo.
He said: “It appears the driver was at least at arm’s length from his horse.
“This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos – ever.
“We support a full investigation.”
The driver has since been suspended, according to local reports.
The accident comes just a week after a carriage horse called Deniz died in Central Park after eating a toxic plant.
Horse-drawn carriages in Central Park have been a popular tourist attraction for decades.
But in recent years they have been under the microscope by animal rights activists calling for them to be banned.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has even said he supports removing the carriages from the park.
Reacting to the two recent deaths, New York City Council member Shahana Hanif said they “are heartbreaking reminders that horse-drawn carriages are unsafe for both horses and people”.
He said: “These incidents are not isolated… End this outdated industry, and ensure a just transition for workers. New York can and must do better.”
Local council member Harvey Epstein added: “Time and again, we are seeing both horses and people suffer the consequences of an industry that poses serious risks to public safety and animal welfare.
“New York City can’t continue to ignore these tragedies.”
Plans are in place to impose the Ryder’s Law bill in the city which would see carriage licenses no longer issued and a complete phasing out of the rides over the next two years.
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