Central Park carriage driver breaks wrist, others injured after two horses break loose

Carriage Driver Suffers Wrist Injury, Others Hurt as Two Horses Run Loose in Central Park

Wild, wild horses dragged these buggies away.

In an incident on Monday, a pair of runaway carriage horses in Central Park caused chaos, breaking a driver’s wrist and injuring others when they escaped — just a week following another similar incident with a rogue horse, as captured in wild videos.

The escape took place around 2:30 p.m. when a horse, gearing up to take passengers near the Central Park Zoo, became startled and raced off towards 59th Street traffic, according to Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS, speaking to The Post.

The horse, named Shadow, then abruptly veered back into the park and crashed into a fleet of parked pedicabs, Birnkrant said.

The commotion then panicked a second stallion, causing it to bolt too. There were no passengers aboard either buggy hitched to the animals.

Dramatic video footage shared on social media depicts a pedicab driver managing to rein in the horses while frantic coachmen chase after them in a state of panic.

Christina Hansen, the union rep for Central Park’s carriage horses, told The Post that Shadow — a new horse to the park — was eating beside his 40-year industry veteran driver when he slipped out of his bridle.

The hero pedicab operator — who was the same driver who helped to corral a runaway horse last Sunday — said he intercepted the buggy of the first horse with his bike. He sustained a leg injury from being kicked during the mayhem.

“Thankfully, I was not killed, it was too scary,” said the pedicab driver, who declined to provide his name to The Post.

He described how it was “the second time to see the same thing — to have the horse coming at full speed.”

The driver, whose pedicab was flipped over and damaged in the kerfuffle, ended up cycling Shadow’s coachman to Mount Sinai West for a broken wrist.

Another carriage driver was reportedly kicked in the head, and a third broke their hand.

“The heroic pedicab driver saved people’s lives doing what he did and putting himself at risk,” Birnkrant said, adding that the horses must “definitely be traumatized” and that she would “be surprised if they didn’t have some kind of injuries.”

Hansen said the incident highlights the need for more hitching posts to tether idle horses, “which drivers and the union have requested from the city in previous discussions.”

However, Birnkrant argued that a hitching post could be easily ripped out by a startled horse — and that it is just another example why the practice should be banned in the Big Apple.

It is “simply a miracle” that nobody was “killed” in the recent incidents, the animal rights activist said at a rally outside City Hall on Wednesday, before adding, “but the luck is going to run out.”

Meanwhile, animal activists doused themselves in fake blood outside City Hall to demand an end to the carriage horse practice.

“We have had dozens of these runaway horse crashes, horses dropping dead, crashing into vehicles and injuring people,” Birnkrant said.

“Not only is this a deadly industry, but it’s extremely dangerous for everyone in Midtown.”

A spokesperson for City Hall told The Post that the Adams administration is “dedicated to keeping New Yorkers safe everywhere in our city, which also means keeping our city’s animals safe.

“We are looking into this concerning incident,” the rep added.

You May Also Like

Virginia State University accused of eliminating Christian student ministries while Muslim groups remain on campus

Virginia State University Accused of Ousting Christian Ministries

Virginia State University (VSU) is being sued in federal court by two…
Christa Pike’s botched lethal injection takes focus off victim, jeopardizes execution: former police chief

Former Police Chief Says Christa Pike’s Botched Lethal Injection Overshadows Victim and Risks Execution

Tennessee’s failed effort Wednesday to execute 30-year death row prisoner Christa Pike…
Christa Pike's botched execution witness shares moment he knew 'something's going wrong'

Christa Pike Execution Witness Recalls Moment ‘Something’s Going Wrong’

A reporter who witnessed the botched execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike…
Florida appeals court overturns babysitter's convictions in hot car death of infant

Florida Court Overturns Babysitter Convictions in Infant Hot-Car Death

Rhonda Jewell left 10-month-old Ariya Paige inside a vehicle for roughly five…
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson leadership doubted by Jayapal over mass shooting handling

Rep. Jayapal Questions Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s Shooting Response

Progressive Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington questioned Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s…
O'Hare Flyer: West suburban residents press for answers on proposed O'Hare Flyer express train at Forest Park meeting

West Suburban Residents Demand Answers on Proposed O’Hare Flyer Express Train

FOREST PARK, Ill. () — Only weeks after River Forest officials announced…
Employers across the U.S. added 29,000 jobs in September, short of forecasts

US Employers Add 29,000 Jobs in September, Missing Forecasts

U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, falling well short of…
Roy Cooper steered $100M in disaster relief to low-income housing as hurricane victims went without homes

NC Gov. Roy Cooper Sent $100M in Hurricane Aid to Low-Income Housing

WASHINGTON — An analysis found that former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy…
President Trump to campaign with Bruce Blakeman in upstate New York

Trump to Campaign With Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in Upstate New York

President Trump is set to hit the campaign trail in upstate New…
A gif of Protesters burned trash cans and plastic containers near a campus in the Paris

France’s Teen Riots Escalate as Government Blames Hard Left

Student unrest intensified across France on Friday as riot police confronted teenagers…
Energy Department employee Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy arrested for supporting Iran Houthis

Energy Department Employee Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy Arrested for Supporting Iran-Backed Houthis

A Department of Energy electrical engineer was arrested Thursday on allegations that…
Pills found near dead Ole Miss student didn't come from gas station after feds raid store, owner says

Ole Miss Student Death: Store Owner Denies Pills Found Nearby Came From Raided Gas Station

Court records say Ole Miss students Robert Strang, 20, and Aidan Hamilton,…