Family Seeks $105M After Teen’s Fatal Central Park Carriage Ride

The grieving family of an 18-year-old tourist from India, Romanch Mahajan, has filed a $105 million claim against New York City following his tragic death during a Central Park carriage ride. Mahajan sustained fatal head injuries on June 17 when the horse pulling his family’s carriage reportedly bolted near Cherry Hill. His family alleges that stray electrical voltage may have startled the horse, leading to the catastrophic accident.

A Preventable Tragedy, Family Claims

According to the family’s legal counsel, Sagar Chadha of Liakas Law, the incident was entirely avoidable. “This was an avoidable accident,” Chadha stated, emphasizing that the family’s claim outlines a preventable tragedy that occurred despite prior warnings, previous incidents, and a lack of basic safety measures.

Romanch Mahajan was visiting New York City with his family, enjoying a day of sightseeing and photography, when the incident occurred. The family reports that the horse, identified as Sampson, suddenly bolted while the driver was momentarily occupied taking their picture. The sudden acceleration caused the carriage to become unstable.

“An 18-year-old young man came to New York City with his family and never made it back home,” Chadha added. “His family deserves answers, accountability and meaningful change so that no other family experiences what they have endured.”

The Shadow of a Failed Ban

The fatal accident occurred just over two weeks after a proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park failed to pass the City Council. A bill introduced in 2024 aimed to prohibit these operations by June 1, 2026, but it was ultimately defeated by the City Council’s Health Committee in November 2025. This legislative setback has become a focal point for Mahajan’s family.

Deepak Mahajan, Romanch’s father, expressed his anguish during a New York City Council hearing on July 17. “If the city had passed the law last year, our son would still be alive today,” he stated in a recorded video, his voice thick with emotion as Romanch’s mother wept beside him. “The only measure that can prevent another death is a full and complete act. Let his death not be in vain.”

Renewed Efforts and “Romanch’s Law”

In response to the tragedy, legislative efforts to phase out horse-drawn carriages have been revived. Just days before Mahajan’s death, Council Member Christopher Marte introduced a new version of the ban on June 11, proposing a phase-out by June 1, 2028. This bill is now being renamed “Romanch’s Law” and has garnered support from New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin.

Speaker Menin described Mahajan’s death as heartbreaking and preventable. “That tragedy is why I have decided to support Romanch’s Law, legislation that would begin the transition away from horse-drawn carriages as a tourist attraction in Central Park — for the safety of New Yorkers, visitors from around the world, and the horses themselves,” Menin said in a statement.

Allegations of Electrical Shock

The family’s legal filings, submitted as notices of claim—a prerequisite for suing New York City—detail specific allegations against the city, Con Edison, and several municipal agencies, including the Departments of Parks and Recreation, Transportation, Health and Mental Hygiene, and Consumer and Worker Protection. The core of their claim centers on the potential role of “stray voltage and/or contact voltage” in the area.

According to the filings, the family alleges that such electrical conditions “caused, precipitated, contributed to and/or was a substantial factor” in causing the horse to become “shocked, stimulated, startled, agitated, frightened and/or spooked, and to bolt and run away.” This theory introduces a new dimension to the investigation, moving beyond simple horse spooking to a potential external electrical cause.

The Sequence of Events

Romanch Mahajan’s father recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the accident. The family was inside the carriage, posing for a photograph with the driver, when the horse suddenly bolted. As the carriage careened through the park, Romanch’s mother, Priya, fell out. In a desperate attempt to help her, Romanch jumped from the moving carriage. Tragically, he struck his head on the pavement and was later pronounced dead at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Other family members sustained minor injuries.

Electrical Anomalies and Investigation Demands

Significantly, Con Edison has acknowledged that low levels of stray voltage were detected in the vicinity on July 16 and July 23, weeks after the fatal incident, according to the legal filings. This acknowledgment lends weight to the family’s allegations.

“These allegations demand a complete and transparent investigation,” Chadha stated. “The family intends to determine not only why an occupied carriage was allegedly left unsecured, but whether dangerous electrical conditions existed in the very area where this horse suddenly became spooked and whether anyone knew or should have known about those conditions before Romanch was killed.” The family’s pursuit of justice aims not only to hold responsible parties accountable but also to drive systemic changes that prevent future tragedies in the iconic park.