06/20/2026
New York City
One tragic incident caused by an alleged failure to follow safety protocols should not be used to condemn an entire industry. We do not ban every profession, animal-related business, or mode of transportation when an individual acts negligently. Accountability belongs with those responsible, not with the hardworking people and well-cared-for horses that make up New York City’s historic and iconic carriage industry.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KqVxu1zGn/?mibextid=wwXIfr
I don't think I even need to recap the news that has already gone internationally; An 18 year old tourist from India, Romanch Mahajan celebrating his graduation passed away from injury he incurred jumping out of a horse carriage that had taken off in Central Park on Wednesday, but I will give an update to the situation as detailed as possible. (His parents and brother appeared to jump from the carriage before him, but were not critically injured.) It is the first human fatality in living memory of the horse carriage industry in New York City, but the industry is taking the event very seriously.
The horse, Samson (just 7 years old and in the industry 6 weeks) was parked with his carriage next to The Lake at Cherry Hill near 72nd Street, in Central Park along with some pedicabs, despite the "No Pedicab Parking" sign. The Cherry Hill fountain was originally installed as a water trough for horses, so it continues to be a popular rest stop and photo opportunity during horse carriage tours. In recent years the area has become even more popular; Many pedicab drivers lure tourists to the spot by convincing them it's the fountain in the opening of the TV show, "Friends" (actually shot in California.) Cherry Hill also recently gained some attention for being poorly "repaved" by The Central Park Conservancy with sand.
The carriage driver who had many years of experience in the industry, was with his horse in arms length when he took photos of his customer at their request in the middle of their tour. "Okay, ready to continue?" another carriage driver heard him ask his customers as he was getting back in the driver seat, but something startled his horse at 2:45pm and he didn't make it back onto the carriage.
An ambulance arrived for the displaced passengers at Cherry Hill around 2:50pm and the distraught driver remained with his customers until it left, after putting himself in danger in a frantic attempt to stop his horse. At that point the horse had made it to Tavern On The Green restaurant, inside Central Park near 67th Street on the West Side when his empty carriage collided with another and flipped over. (There was minor damage and no injuries within the carriage that was hit.)
Samson remained upright, uninjured. He was caught by a pedicab driver friendly towards the horse carriage drivers. An unfriendly pedicab driver named Sean, known for a plastic horse head attached to his handle bars and appearing in NYCLASS's pedicab ads (https://www.facebook.com/stophorseabuse/videos/671487803929635) rolled up and began filming, while shouting that the industry should be banned. Another passerby argued, "The horses have been here for over 150 years! Why don't you stop filming and help?"
One of the first on the scene was Pedicab driver, Helen David and her partner, Tiffany who both recently began working with NYCLASS (https://www.facebook.com/reel/988470293880845) and had called the media while gleaming. They had been interviewed by the media when Deniz (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1487602270073919&set=a.638735974960557) passed away the previous week and they had been filmed laughing and dancing (https://www.facebook.com/reel/870784962740265) next to an injured carriage driver whose carriage, parked at the 7th Ave carriage stand, had flipped over onto him as another horse carriage's wheel had clipped his, pulling out of the line a month earlier. A flatbed truck arrived at Tavern On The Green for the overturned carriage and a horse carriage industry trailer arrived to take Samson back to the stable, but the NYPD wouldn't allow him to leave until completing the investigation. Horse carriage driver and industry spokeswoman, Christina Hansen was nearby with her horse and carriage, and attended to Samson until other carriage drivers arrived after taking their horse and carriages back to the stable.
The Central Park Conservancy's VP for Government Relations, Policy & Community Affairs, David Saltonstall's son Gus Saltonstall, Managing Editor at The Westside Rag broke the story on Twitter/X at 3:26pm with photos and videos that have now been widely shared. The Central Park Conservancy non-profit organization is contracted by the city to maintain the park relying mainly on donations, but was recently criticized for allowing their CEO, Betsy Smith to keep a million dollar per year salary.
The Conservancy was formed in 1980 with the mission of protecting the park's history in it's architect Frederick Law Olmsted's vision, including carriage horses animating the landscape, views from the back of a carriage slowly unfolding, and horse carriages aiding in slowing the pace of the park in mind. When David Saltonstall started working for The Conservancy in November of 2021 their mission began to get abandoned. In 2025 the park drives were redesigned to prioritize speeding e-bikes, partly in an attempt to drive horse carriages out. The Electric Vehicle Safety Alliance, EVSA has tirelessly fought with The Conservancy on the fact that they have taken no stance on increasingly dangerous e-bike activity in the park, stating they must remain neutral, but they have now taken a stance against the statistically safe horse carriage industry.
The Central Park Conservancy has put out a statement that due to "8" (only 7 listed with one duplicate) unrelated horse carriage incidents in the past 13 months, they are supportive of a ban of the horse carriage industry. They included Deniz passing away from eating a toxic plant they'd planted next to the carriage drive and five of the incidents would have been prevented by hitching posts, which were again requested in a letter sent to the Central Park Conservancy by TWU Local 100 in December of 2025. The Conservancy's statement says, "if any other activity in the park posed a comparable risk to visitors, it would be suspended immediately while steps were taken to address those dangers." Over the last 5 years there have been 472 bicycle accidents (including regular and e-bike) with injuries in the park, resulting in 3 deaths. Again, this was the first human fatality in a horse carriage incident in living memory, possibly even since the park opened in 1858.
David Saltonstall's friend, Steve Nislick, real estate tycoon and CEO & Founder of NYCLASS left his West 63rd Street apartment to arrive on the scene at Tavern On The Green, and walk under the police tape (https://www.facebook.com/NBCNewYork/posts/pfbid02QnM1aAggxZKXPHhuzcsqj6QmBDZ2dRGDhBUqzfmAm6bowekHuMeSxnBWyAdBu5Wjl) around 4:30pm. He hadn’t been seen at any other recent horse carriage incidents, but he was caught on camera smiling on Wednesday. NYCLASS's executive director, Edita Birnkrant arrived to the scene, "Ban Carriage Horses" poster in hand with a smile on her face as well. The incident occurred just one day after a press conference (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1492213279612818&set=a.638735968293891) revealed carriage horse Deniz's fatality was caused by a toxic plant the Central Park Conservancy planted next to the carriage drive.
An investigation will have to be held to try to determine what set Samson off, so out of character to his typical temperament. "Horses don't go from zero to *that* speed without a warning signal unless there's a real reason," equine professionals noted. "How was someone filming from the spot the horse took off from at the moment it happened? The camera was already aimed with the horse centered without delay, without shaking, without panning, just waiting for it?" another questioned. (All NYC horse carriages must carry a steep liability insurance policy that includes covering the death of passengers.)
TWU Local 100 released a statement (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1493480572819422&set=a.638735974960557) of deep sympathy for the tragic loss and highlighting the carriage driver's manual states they aren't to get out of the driver's seat during rides (unless for an emergency to prevent an accident.) The driver has been indefinitely suspended from operating and Samson will receive an early retirement from the industry. At the stable, carriage drivers gathered in grief receiving the news that the passenger's condition had been updated beyond critical. It was an extremely shocking and traumatizing event for all horse carriage drivers that felt for the family in the carriage.
Hateful comments started circulating on social media, along the lines of "As long as the horse is okay, I'm happy that kid died, he deserved it and now we can use this incident to ban carriage horses!" Other comments were more logical, "This is really tragic, but it was an accident and the first time it happened! There are much more dangerous things we don't ban." Outside of the passengers family, carriage drivers took it the hardest. All the horse carriage stables temporarily shut down at the stable managers decision. Some carriage drivers sought counseling, some took a break from the internet, some questioned the amount of coincidental tragedy within such a short time, and some were angered by the city's failure to act on their pleas for safety improvements such as hitching posts. Today the industry is holding a meeting to discuss improvements to safety measures and a path towards passing Intro 937 that guarantees even more, before reopening operations to the public. Carriage drivers are planning on exercising their horses over the weekend but won't be taking passengers until next week. (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1495189712648508&set=a.638735974960557)
NYCLASS, PETA, other animal rights extremists groups, and some NYC council members are undoubtedly exploiting this extremely tragic incident to further their agenda to entirely ban the carriage industry, while over 100 (mainly immigrant) horse carriage drivers, some in the business without an accident for decades, remain concerned and confused and as to why their livelihood is being threatened when they've done nothing wrong. As absolutely devastated as they are over this loss of life, they're now being attacked, demonized, and blamed for this extremely rare, freak accident. They were just beginning to get some closure from the release of Deniz’s necropsy and only the next day have been stricken with gut wrenching tragedy again.
While there have been no new sponsors to NYCLASS's carriage horse ban bill, Intro 943 (https://www.facebook.com/SaveNYCHorses/posts/pfbid0uPghNj2Y37bo5eV3sekEuz5qfMQBqHjxc7ZV8Dra27kxKSaC6fp96er37GXGxesrl), introduced by Councilman Chris Marte, with a total of 14 sponsors (the bill would need 26 votes to pass), the NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin and Health Committee Chair Councilwoman Lynn Shulman have scheduled a hearing for it in July. Councilman Jim Gennaro is working on scheduling a hearing for his "Horse Welfare & Job Protection" bill Intro 937 (https://www.facebook.com/SaveNYCHorses/posts/pfbid02G4A4GoVHy5HfZsuBTqkTwF5QN4JTYss9okkfMqXc4dEhEJjQNqtXtQiASEnMs1Fkl) that he recently introduced as well (that currently has a total of 8 sponsors.)
[Photo Unrelated To Wednesday’s Incident]
