Overview
- A horse-drawn carriage bolted and struck another carriage near 71st Street and Center Drive on Wednesday, June 17, throwing an 18-year-old passenger who later died, authorities and park officials said.
- Multiple videos and eyewitness accounts show the horse running uncontrolled and the carriage overturning, and the carriage owner and union say the driver has been suspended and the horse taken out of service pending probes.
- A necropsy publicized this week found that a separate carriage horse, Deniz, died after ingesting Japanese yew, a plant toxic to horses, a finding the drivers’ union released and park officials disputed.
- The fatality renewed calls from the Central Park Conservancy, animal-welfare groups and some council members to pass Ryder’s Law to phase out carriages, while the Transport Workers Union is pressing for stricter training and rules instead.
- NYPD and city agencies are investigating and the next steps to watch are Council hearings and possible legislation that could ban carriages and require a transition plan for drivers and owners.