Indian teen dies on first trip to New York after trying to save mother

Highlights:

• Indian teenager Romanch Mahajan, 18, died in Central Park carriage accident
• Horse suddenly bolted while driver stopped for a family photo
• Teen jumped to help his mother after she fell from carriage
• He died after hitting his head and being rushed to hospital
• Incident renews calls to ban horse carriages in the park

An Indian teenager died after a horse-drawn carriage accident in New York’s Central Park while trying to save his mother during a sudden mishap on his first trip to the city.

Romanch Mahajan, 18, was visiting New York with his family when the incident occurred on Wednesday (17), according to The New York Times. The family had been riding in a horse carriage when the driver stopped to take a photograph.

The situation escalated quickly when the horse suddenly bolted. It ran onto the sidewalk and across a grassy area, accelerating uncontrollably as the driver chased behind, the report said.

“We were yelling, ‘Help me, help me!” Deepak Mahajan, Romanch’s father, said.

The family was holding onto each other when Romanch’s mother, Priya, fell from the carriage. At that moment, Romanch jumped down to assist her.

"My son, just to save his mother, he fell off," said Deepak.

"He was screaming, ‘Mom!'”

"The horse got scared and ran super fast,” Tatianna Bresler, who works at the Tavern on the Green, told The New York Post.

Bresler said she immediately called 911 after hearing screams and seeing the crash. A bystander eventually managed to slow the horse before the carriage flipped over.

Romanch hit his head on the ground and remained motionless. He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he died later that night, The New York Times reported.

The rest of the family, including his parents and younger brother, sustained minor injuries. Their carriage collided with another carriage during the chaos and broke apart.

The incident has added to concerns about safety involving horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. The carriage system has faced repeated scrutiny following multiple accidents involving horses in the area.

The union representing carriage drivers said the incident should not have occurred.

"It appears the driver was at least at arm's length from his horse,” Alexander Kemp, a vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said.

"This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos — ever. We support a full investigation."

The driver has been suspended indefinitely by the carriage owner pending investigation, according to union officials.

The accident has also intensified political debate over banning horse carriages in Central Park. More than 100 carriage horses operate in Manhattan.

“We cannot allow this to be treated as another isolated incident,” City Councilman Christopher Marte said.

"The Council must act with the urgency this tragedy demands,” he added.

The Central Park Conservancy reported at least eight horse-related incidents in or near the park since May 2025, including a case last month in which a horse struck another carriage, causing it to overturn.