Family cites electrical problem in new $105 million suit

BY CARTER MYERS-BROWN

Posted 8/21/26

In a last-ditch effort to block the elimination of the horse-drawn carriage industry, the union representing New York City’s carriage drivers is arguing that an electrical current contributed to the high-profile death of a tourist in June who was killed during a ride through Central Park. Transport Workers Union Local 100’s new contention is backed by the family of the 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan who are alleging in a new $105 million suit that a stray electrical current caused the horse pulling the carriage the family was riding in horse to bolt, resulting in Mahajan’s death.

Since the crash, dozens of electrical workers from Con Edison, the Parks Department, the Central Park Conservancy and other agencies have descended on Cherry Hill, where the horse, Samson, bolted. Con Edison detected stray voltage from underground cables in the area after the accident, according to the union.

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