Teen injured critically after Central Park carriage crash

An 18-year-old tourist from India is in critical condition after a horse-drawn carriage he was riding in flipped over in New York City's Central Park on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. The incident occurred when a horse pulling a carriage became startled, broke free from its driver, and bolted before colliding with another carriage near the area of 71st Street and Center Drive, close to the Tavern on the Green restaurant.

Police and witnesses said the teenager, who was riding with two other passengers, suffered serious head trauma and was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. The two other passengers were not reported injured. The runaway horse was later brought under control and was not harmed.

According to a source familiar with the investigation, the driver had disembarked to take pictures of the passengers when the horse took off. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with people spilling from the overturned carriage. One witness said the event happened so quickly that those involved did not have a chance to escape before falling over.

The crash has intensified a long-running and heated debate over the future of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park....