An 18-year-old who died after being thrown from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park had been celebrating his high school graduation with his family just moments before the tragedy.
Newly released video from the family’s visit to New York City shows Romanch Mahajan boarding the carriage with his mother and younger brother, according to Inside Edition.
Mahajan, who was from India, is seen seated beside his 11-year-old brother, Manik, waving to their father as they prepared to take a tour through Central Park on June 17.
Their father, Deepak Mahajan, soon joined them, and the family smiled together for a souvenir photo — an image that would become their final picture as a family.
The horse was reportedly startled after the carriage handler stepped away to take the family’s photo. The frightened animal bolted, causing the carriage to spin out of control and throwing Mahajan and his mother from the ride.
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Mahajan, who had traveled to New York to mark his graduation, suffered a fatal head injury while trying to protect his mother, according to the report.
“We are trying to still digest this,” Deepak told Inside Edition. “It’s a shame.”
In the wake of Mahajan’s death, his family has urged New York City officials to permanently ban horse-drawn carriages to prevent another similar incident.
“The industry responsible for my nephew’s death is preparing to resume passenger tours this Tuesday, treating the loss of Romanch’s life as a temporary inconvenience,” said Gaurav Mahajan, Romanch’s uncle, in the letter to the mayor’s office.
Ryder’s Law, a bill before the City Council that would phase out the horse carriages, has also been changed to Romanch’s Law by its latest sponsor, Councilman Chris Marte.
Under the bill, it would take two years to phase out the carriages to fully transition their drivers to new jobs, Marte said at a Monday vigil for the teen, which was attended by about a dozen people consisting of his staff and animal advocates.
