Carriage Driver Stepped Away Before Central Park Tourist Died
A carriage driver stepped away to photograph passengers near Cherry Hill in Central Park before the horse he handled began running, and 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan fell, suffered a head injury and died at a hospital, according to press reports and police accounts cited by
Reported by press, not yet linked to NYC police crash records. This may change when new official records become available or when matching details are reviewed.
Location under review
What We Know
Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India, was riding in a horse-drawn carriage with his family in Central Park on June 17, 2026. Press reports and the drivers union said the carriage driver stepped away to take a photo before the horse began running. Mahajan fell from the carriage, suffered a head injury and later died at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The NYPD opened an investigation, and the drivers union paused rides for safety reviews and training. Mahajan’s family and several city officials then urged the city to end horse-drawn carriage rides, with a pending bill renamed Romanch’s Law.
A photo stop preceded the fatal fall
Reports place the incident shortly after 2:45 p.m. on June 17, 2026, during a Central Park carriage ride. The New York Post, NY Daily News and West Side Spirit reported that the driver stepped away to take a photo of the passengers before the horse began running.
Romanch Mahajan, 18, fell from the carriage and suffered a head injury. Police accounts cited by the NY Daily News said he was taken to a hospital, where he died about 6:45 p.m. The other passengers did not report serious injuries or declined medical attention, according to multiple reports.
The ride was inside Central Park
News reports described the location as the Cherry Hill area near Bethesda Fountain, around West 71st Street and Center Drive in Central Park. Some later accounts described the aftermath or the horse being stopped farther south near Tavern on the Green.
Romanch Mahajan was visiting from India with his family
Mahajan was in New York with his parents and younger brother on a trip connected to his high school graduation, according to family accounts reported by the NY Daily News and the New York Post. His father, Deepak Mahajan, told the Times, as quoted by the Daily News, “It took my son’s dream away.”
The Post and West Side Spirit identified the driver as Ertan Gokdepe. The New York Post reported that the horse, Sampson, was later retired, and West Side Spirit reported that the carriage owner suspended the driver indefinitely.
The driver’s distance from the carriage drew scrutiny
TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp said a driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos. The union said the driver appeared to be at least an arm’s length from the horse when the horse began running, and it supported a full investigation.
The NY Daily News reported that Central Park Precinct officers were investigating and had interviewed the driver. As of that report, no charges had been filed.
The death reshaped the carriage-horse debate
The drivers union temporarily suspended Central Park carriage rides and held safety reviews and refresher training before passenger rides resumed. ABC7 reported that drivers returned to the park for training while tours remained paused.
Mahajan’s family urged Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the City Council to stop horse-carriage rides. Council Member Christopher Marte said the proposed ban would be renamed Romanch’s Law, and the City Council later held a public hearing on the bill.