New York City will ban horse-drawn carriage rides after Indian teen Romanch Mahajan’s death earlier this year.
An Indian family’s New York vacation turned into a nightmare on June 17, when 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan died after falling from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park in an attempt to save his mother Priya Mahajan who fell from the carriage first. Romanch’s parents appealed to the administration to ban horse-drawn carriages so that no other family has to go through what they did.
“The tragic and preventable death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan made clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable,” Menin said in a statement. The carriage driver briefly stepped away to take a photograph when the family was inside the carriage. The horse suddenly bolted in the absence of the driver nd Romanch’s mother fell. Romanch immediately jumped from the moving carriage and suffered a fatal head injury. He later died at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical center. A bill was drafted to ban horse carriages in NYC and it was named after the Indian teen — Romanch’s law. The bill is now expected to be brought to the council floor for a voter later this month. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin reached a deal on the legislation. “Horse drawn carriages have long been part of New York City’s history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability. Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on Romanch’s Law to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves. ”