“He Died to Save Her”: Teen Tourist Leap from Runaway Central Park Carriage Was a Final Act of Heroism

“My son, just to save his mother, he fell off,” says a shattered father, recounting the devastating moment an 18-year-old visitor plunged to his death to protect his mom from a bolting horse.

A family vacation from India to New York City has dissolved into an absolute nightmare, but new details reveal that the tragic loss of an 18-year-old student in Central Park was defined by an extraordinary act of bravery.

Romanch Mahajan did not simply lose his balance when his family’s horse carriage bolted. Instead, the teenager intentionally leaped from the careening, out-of-control vehicle in a desperate, final attempt to shield his mother after she fell into harm’s way.

The horrific incident unfolded near 71st Street and Centre Drive when the carriage driver, Ertan Gokdepe, stepped away from his post to take a commemorative photo of the family. Left unattended, the 7-year-old horse, Sampson, became startled and bolted, accelerating down the grass and sidewalks at a violent speed.

“We were yelling, ‘Help me, help me!'” the teen’s father, Deepak Mahajan, told the New York Times, describing the sudden chaos inside the buggy.

As the panicked animal tore through the crowded park, Romanch’s mother, Priya, lost her footing and fell from the careening carriage. Witnessing his mother hit the ground while the heavy wooden vehicle lunged forward, the 18-year-old didn’t hesitate. He deliberately jumped out after her.

“My son, just to save his mother, he fell off,” Deepak Mahajan said through tears. “He was screaming, ‘Mom!'”

Tragically, the sheer speed of the vehicle caused Romanch to hit the ground with immense force, striking his head against the pavement. He was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he later succumbed to severe blunt force trauma. While his mother survived the initial fall, the family has been left entirely devastated by the loss of their heroic son.

“A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos — ever. This is unacceptable.”

Severe Negligence Sparks Fierce Industry Backlash

The tragedy has placed the entire New York City carriage trade under intense scrutiny. Gokdepe, a 20-year veteran driver, has been suspended indefinitely, and Sampson has been retired from service. While a union representative stated that Gokdepe is “absolutely devastated” by the accident, animal welfare advocates and city leaders argue that the industry itself is an antiquated public safety hazard.

The fatal crash marks the third major horse-related emergency in Central Park in recent weeks, trailing a collision that injured a coachman in May, and the agonizing death of a carriage horse named Deniz, who collapsed at Strawberry Fields last week.

In response to the uptick in dangerous incidents, political pressure is rapidly mounting on the City Council to pass “Ryder’s Law”—a bill heavily supported by animal rights group PETA that aims to completely phase out horse-drawn carriages in the Big Apple.

While political debates continue to swirl around City Hall, the local community is shifting its focus to honoring the young tourist’s incredible bravery. A public vigil has been organized for Monday at 10:45 a.m. at the Cherry Hill Fountain, offering New Yorkers a space to gather and mourn a young man who paid the ultimate price to protect his mother.