TEENAGER DIES AFTER HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE OVERTURNS IN CENTRAL PARK

Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after a horse-drawn carriage overturned in Central Park on Wednesday afternoon. Mahajan was travelling with his family on a sightseeing tour when the horse bolted after the driver dismounted to photograph passengers. Video footage shows the carriage moving at speed through the park before colliding with another horse-drawn vehicle and toppling over. Mahajan's father, Deepak Mahajan, told The New York Times that his son jumped from the carriage after his mother fell out, striking his head on the ground. The rest of the family sustained minor injuries in the incident.

Mahajan had arrived in New York from India on the same day the accident occurred, having just learnt of his university acceptance. The family was unwinding on the carriage ride, one of the park's popular tourist attractions, which charge approximately $72 for the first 20 minutes. The driver involved was not supposed to leave his post to take photographs, according to the union representing the industry. The company operating the carriage suspended the driver indefinitely and announced the horse would be retired from service. Horse-drawn carriage operations were not running in the park on Thursday following the incident.

The death has renewed calls to ban horse-drawn carriages from the park. Deepak Mahajan stated: "This incident should be taken very seriously. It took my son's dream away." Alexander Kemp, a vice president with the Transport Workers Union Local 100, described the incident as a tragedy. It remained unclear when carriage operations would resume in the park, which receives millions of visitors annually.