Overview
- A horse-drawn carriage bolted on the Central Park loop around 3 p.m. on Wednesday and overturned after brushing the wheels of another carriage, throwing at least two people and sending an 18-year-old to hospital, where he later died.
- Video released by media outlets shows the horse galloping, the carriage tipping and passengers being thrown out, and the other occupants declined medical treatment at the scene.
- The Transport Workers Union said the driver left the box to take a photo and that the horse had been in service for six weeks; the union urged a full inquiry and city authorities have reportedly suspended the driver.
- The horse involved appeared uninjured and has been removed from service, and the crash follows a separate horse death in the park last week after the animal ate a plant toxic to horses.
- The confirmed fatality and visible footage have intensified pressure on regulators and the Central Park Conservancy to tighten oversight or end carriage rides, a shift that could affect drivers’ jobs and tourist access to the century-old attraction.