The Mahajan family was on the third day of their first trip to New York City when tragedy struck.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe never knew that this was the last day of his life,\u201d Deepak Mahajan told NBC News on Friday about his son Romanch, who died Wednesday after he fell out of a horse-drawn carriage<\/a> in Central Park.<\/p>\n The family\u2019s 10-day vacation to the United States was meant to celebrate Romanch\u2019s recent high school graduation and acceptance to a university in India.<\/p>\n Romanch, his father, his mother, Priya, and his 11-year-old younger brother, Manik, were exploring Central Park on Wednesday when they decided to take one of the park\u2019s iconic horse-drawn carriage rides. The roughly 45-minute tour included stops where the driver would take photos of them at scenic locations, Deepak Mahajan said.<\/p>\n Toward the end of the ride, the driver stepped away from the carriage to snap a picture of the family. It was then that the horse bolted.<\/p>\n Romanch fell out of the carriage and hit his head on the pavement, police said. His family said Romanch was attempting to save his mother after she fell from the carriage. The 18-year-old was rushed to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. The rest of the family suffered minor injuries.<\/p>\n \u201cMy son was like 6-feet-2 or 6-feet-3, handsome guy, very obedient, very smart guy,\u201d Mahajan said of his son, adding: \u201cIt\u2019s a big loss to our whole family.\u201d<\/p>\n Guarav Mahajan, Romanch\u2019s uncle, remembered him as a sincere, down-to-earth teenager who was always willing to help others.<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter, like, you know, if he knew someone or not, he will always pitch in to help people,\u201d Guarav Mahajan said Saturday.<\/p>\n Romanch had aspirations to become an entrepreneur after graduating from university, his family said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe had a lot of, lot of brilliant ideas that he would share with his dad, even us, sometimes,\u201d his uncle said.<\/p>\n Horse carriage rides in New York City\u2019s Central Park remained suspended Friday following Romanch\u2019s death.<\/p>\n The Transport Workers Union, which represents horse carriage drivers in the city, announced Thursday <\/a>that its workers had \u201cshuttered the stables and ceased operations\u201d as they undergo \u201cextensive internal discussions of safety protocols and how they can be improved.\u201d It\u2019s unclear when they plan on resuming operations.<\/p>\n Alexander Kemp, administrative vice president of the union\u2019s Local 100, said in a statement Friday that a \u201csafety stand-down\u201d is in effect through Sunday, during which time drivers will review safety rules and protocols. Trainings will move to Central Park on Monday but without passengers on board, he said.<\/p>\n Kemp has emphasized that drivers are not supposed to leave their carriages to take photos and in the statement said the union welcomes more oversight.<\/p>\n According to the union, it appeared that the driver \u201cwas at least at arm\u2019s length from his horse<\/a>\u201d when it bolted off for unknown reasons. A bystander video<\/a> obtained by NBC News showed the horse, still attached to the carriage, sprinting across the park and eventually colliding with another horse carriage \u2014 sending passengers tumbling to the ground<\/a>.<\/p>\n That driver has since been suspended indefinitely and the horse, which had been at Central Park for only six weeks, has been retired.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to keep the family of Romanch Mahajan in our prayers,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cWords can\u2019t express the enormity of this tragedy. We are taking the first steps to address safety issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Deepak Mahajan wants to see stricter measures put in place to prevent another family from experiencing a similar tragedy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing is that there should be some safety measures that no parents lose their son again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Consulate General of India in New York said it is in touch with Mahajan\u2019s family to extend \u201call possible assistance and support<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Mahajan\u2019s death is believed to be the first human fatality<\/a> involving a horse carriage since they were introduced in Central Park more than 150 years ago, according to the Transport Workers Union and the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the 850-acre park.<\/p>\n The tragic incident has now reignited calls from animal advocates, some elected officials and even the Central Park Conservancy \u2014 all of which have long advocated to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park.<\/p>\n \u201cA young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America,\u201d a spokesperson for the Central Park Conservancy said in a statement. \u201cThis is the tragedy we feared when we first called last year for horse carriages to be banned from Central Park due to the risks they pose to public safety and public health.\u201d<\/p>\n New York City Council member Christopher Marte, who introduced a bill last week to ban horse-drawn carriages, said the incident shows why the practice should end.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes one second of a horse losing its concentration to run off and injure a driver, a passenger, or just a pedestrian,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to end it, not only for the horses, because they\u2019re in extreme conditions, but also for the people around them.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the Central Park Conservancy, there have been eight horse-related incidents in Central Park over the past 13 months. Just last week, a 16-year-old carriage horse in Central Park named Deniz died<\/a> after ingesting a poisonous plant.<\/p>\n The Central Park Conservancy and others seeking to end horse-drawn carriages in Central Park support Ryder\u2019s Law, a local bill that would not only ban the practice but find transitional jobs for the drivers affected.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/260619-Romanch-Mahajan-central-park-horse-carriage-mn-1230-e1098d.jpg\")
The Mahajan family on their horse-carriage trip in Central Park on Wednesday. From left, Priya, Romanch, Deepak and Maanik.Mahajan family<\/p>\n