Overview
- Investigators say a Central Park carriage horse bolted after the driver left the cab to take photos, throwing 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan from the carriage and killing him on June 17.
- The Transport Workers Union Local 100 temporarily suspended commercial rides, ordered refresher training for drivers, and the driver involved was suspended while the 7-year-old horse Sampson was retired.
- Councilman Chris Marte reintroduced the phaseout bill first proposed as Ryder’s Law and said he will rename it Romanch’s Law to push to end horse-drawn carriages with worker transition plans.
- A recent necropsy showed another carriage horse, Deniz, apparently died from ingestion of toxic Japanese yew berries, and veterinary and NYPD reviews are expected to inform the coming hearings.
- The dispute now centers on whether New York will phase out carriages or tighten safety and animal-welfare rules, and the July hearing will test political will, worker protections, and whether the industry can meet stricter rules.