Central Park Carriage Horse Kills 18-Year-Old Tourist Near Tavern on the Green
An 18-year-old tourist died Wednesday afternoon after a Central Park carriage horse got loose near Tavern on the Green and threw him from the carriage. Police said the man, who was visiting New York City with his family, fell around 2:45 p.m. and later died from his injuries at Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Tavern on the Green
The horse, named Sampson, got spooked as the family was getting back into the carriage, then took off. It is unclear how many family members were in the carriage when Sampson bolted. Witness Ron Pobuda said, "It happened so quickly they didn't have a chance to think about running or getting out of there."
Video from the scene shows a person being thrown from the speeding carriage. Police said the carriage driver was not in the carriage at the time. Alexander Kemp, the Administrative Vice President of TWU Local 100, said it appeared the driver was "at least at arm's length from his horse to take a photo of his passengers in the carriage."
TWU Local 100
Kemp said the horse had been in the park for only six weeks. After the death, TWU Local 100 said the carriage owner suspended the driver indefinitely and the horse would be retired from the business. Kemp also said, "A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos - ever. We support a full investigation."
He added that the union supports enhanced driving training, tougher examinations with a practical component, rules for introducing new horses into the business, and hitching posts throughout the park. "Thousands upon thousands of rides are taken without incident, but steps must be taken to prevent accidents like this," he said.
Central Park Conservancy
The Central Park Conservancy said it was "absolutely devastated" to learn of the death and renewed its call for New York City to pass Ryder's Law, which would ban horse carriages and provide transitional job placement services for drivers. The group said, "A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America."
