Central Park vigil honors teen tourist killed in horse-drawn carriage crash

Elected officials and animal welfare advocates will gather for a vigil to be held on Monday to honor the 18-year-old tourist who died after falling from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park last Wednesday.

Romanch Mahajan, who was visiting New York City from India with his family, suffered fatal injuries when the horse became spooked and bolted off. It ran down West Drive before its carriage flipped over after crashing into another carriage. Mahajan’s father said that his son died trying to save his mother, who had fallen out of the carriage following the impact.

MAN KILLED AFTER HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE BOLTS AND FLIPS NEAR POPULAR NEW YORK CITY TOURIST DESTINATION

New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) announced that it would hold the vigil to honor Mahajan at the Cherry Hill Fountain near where the incident occurred. The organization also announced that the city’s “Ryder’s Law” will be renamed “Romanch’s Law” in Mahajan’s memory.

Ryder’s Law is a bill that aims to phase out horse-drawn carriages in NYC. The bill was proposed in 2022 by former New York City Council member Bob Holden after a horse named Ryder collapsed on a street in Hell’s Kitchen and later died. Council Member Chris Marte renewed the call for the bill’s passage after Mahajan’s death, and Council Speaker Julie Menin said that a hearing for the bill would take place in July.

“It is now time to act. The Council recently introduced Ryder’s Law to address longstanding concerns surrounding the horse carriage industry, and we will hold a hearing on the bill in July. We look forward to hearing from all stakeholders and reviewing measures to address horse welfare and public safety concerns as we work toward a thoughtful solution to this urgent issue.” Menin said in a statement.

Alexander Kemp, administrative vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said in a statement Friday that “our hearts go out to the family” of Romanch Mahajan.

“Words can’t express the enormity of this tragedy,” Kemp said. “We are taking the first steps towards addressing safety issues.”

Kemp added at a news conference Friday that the union is putting together new safety training protocols with feedback from the horse carriage operators that will be rolled out, and that about 200 carriage owners and drivers will be required to follow.

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Horse-drawn carriage usage in Central Park has been a hotly debated topic, with animal rights groups calling for an outright ban on the practice. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated that he would work with the city council, the industry and animal welfare advocates to seek to end horse-drawn carriages in the park, promising to “deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Central Park Conservancy, NYCLASS, NYPD, TWU Local 100 and Council Member Chris Marte’s office for additional comment.