The crash happened during a family carriage ride near Central Drive.
NEW YORK — An 18-year-old tourist died Wednesday after a horse-drawn carriage bolted in Central Park, throwing passengers from the cab during an afternoon ride, police and union officials said.
The crash has renewed scrutiny of New York City’s horse carriage trade, a long-running tourist attraction that operates in one of the nation’s busiest parks. Police said the young man was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition and later died.
The carriage was carrying four passengers shortly before 3 p.m. when the horse ran off after the driver stepped away, officials said. The Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage workers, said the driver had gotten down to take a photo of the passengers. Alexander Kemp, an administrative vice president for the union’s local chapter, said drivers are not supposed to leave a carriage that way.
Video from the park showed the horse running along the loop as the carriage bounced behind it. At least two people appeared to fall or jump from the moving cab. Another video showed the carriage tipping over after it clipped the wheels of another carriage. Police said the other passengers refused medical treatment, and the cause of the horse’s bolt remained under investigation.
The horse had been working in Central Park for about six weeks, Kemp said. The union said the carriage owner suspended the driver indefinitely and that the horse would be retired from service. Kemp said the union wants a full investigation and broader safety changes for vehicles in the park, including e-bikes, delivery vehicles, pedicabs and carriages.
The death came just days after another carriage horse, Deniz, collapsed and died in Central Park while carrying passengers. A necropsy released this week found the horse had eaten Japanese yew, a plant toxic to horses. The Central Park Conservancy, which helps operate the nearly 850-acre park, said the latest crash showed the carriage system should end.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Councilmember Lynn Schulman said the death was “horrific and heartbreaking.” They said the Council plans a July hearing on Ryder’s Law, a bill aimed at addressing long-running concerns about the carriage industry. Supporters of a ban say the rides are unsafe for horses and people. Industry supporters say most rides happen without incident and provide jobs.
By Thursday, police had not announced charges. The investigation remained open, and the next public step is expected to come when city officials take up the carriage bill in July.
Author note: Last updated June 18, 2026.