The family of an 18-year-old tourist killed after being thrown from a horse-drawn carriage has urged New York City lawmakers to ban the industry, stating that the tragedy should not be in vain. Romanch Mahajan died on June 17, 2026, after a carriage accident, just weeks after legislation to ban horse-drawn carriages was slated to take effect on June 1, 2026, if it had passed.
“I would not wish this on any family in the world,” said Deepak Mahajan, Romanch’s father, during a City Council hearing on Wednesday. “No one expects for this to happen to their child, but it happened to us. Our whole family is shattered. The pain does not go away.”
His father blamed inaction by previous administrations for his son’s death. "If [the prior legislation] had passed, the carriages would have stopped on June 1, 2026 — Romanch died on June 17," he stated. "This was not an unpredictable accident. Let his death not be in vain."
Following the fatal incident, city lawmakers have intensified efforts to reform or ban the horse carriage industry, a long-standing issue in the city. Councilman Chris Marte, who represents lower Manhattan, reintroduced a bill to ban the industry shortly before Mahajan’s death. The legislation has since gained several co-sponsors, including City Council Speaker Julie Menin.
"With Romanch’s death, we have now reached a turning point," Menin said at the hearing, which drew hundreds of attendees. "The time to act is now."
Councilman Marte highlighted what he described as a pattern of incidents, stating, “Every time an incident occurs, we’re given an excuse. We’re told it’s an isolated incident and the industry is completely safe, but the reality is in the past three to four years there have been: 128 documented accidents; thirty horses have died; dozens of horses have been injured; vehicles have been damaged and destroyed, and most recently we lost the life of a young tourist.”
Former Queens Councilman Bob Holden, who previously championed a similar ban, criticized former Speaker Adrienne Adams, suggesting her inaction contributed to the tragedy. "Adams could have prevented this young man’s death if she had let my bill have a hearing and let the council pass it, at least give us a shot at it,” Holden told the New York Post.
The family, including Romanch's uncle Anuj Thukral and aunt Sovia Thukral, spoke at the City Council hearing on July 15, 2026, to advocate for the ban.