Parents of tourist killed in Central Park carriage horse crash speak out
By Aziza Shuler
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MANHATTAN, New York (WCBS) — The parents of the teen killed in the horse carriage crash in Central Park are remembering their son as rides resume a week after the tragedy.
Romanch Mahajan was fatally injured after the horse pulling his carriage bolted, collided with another carriage and toppled over on June 16.
He and his family were in New York City to celebrate his high school graduation. Family members said the 18-year-old was preparing for college and dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. He was described as a young man who always put others first.
Mahajan’s mother was in tears during an exclusive interview with Inside Edition. It was hard for her to speak about the unimaginable loss.
“She’s shattered. Her family is shattered,” Mahajan’s father said.
He said horse carriage rides should be shut down after what happened.
“Rather than banning it permanently, you’re resuming it. It’s a shame for us. It’s a shame for everyone. For humanity, it is a shame,” he said.
The accident has forced a hard look at safety, with drivers spending four days reviewing procedures.
Christina Hansen, a representative of TWU Local 100, said Mahajan’s death devastated the industry. She said passengers should never be left in a carriage without a driver holding the reins.
But the union says the safety conversation shouldn’t end with horse carriages.
“If you ask New Yorkers who actually come to the park, everybody will tell you that the carriage drives are unsafe because of e-vehicles, speeding delivery bikes, anything but the horses,” she said. “It’s the horses who actually slow down the traffic in the park, which should not be fast. But it looks like a motor speedway.”
The union said it’s pushing the city to add more hitching posts throughout the park so horses can be securely tethered when drivers need to step away.
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