The teen who was killed in Central Park after being tossed from a horse carriage was seen happily celebrating his high school graduation with his family moments before the incident.
Newly released footage of the family’s Big Apple trip shows Romanch Mahajan, 18, hopping aboard the ill-fated carriage with his mother and younger brother, Inside Edition reported.
Mahajan, of India, could be seen waving to his father alongside his brother, Manik, 11, inside the carriage as they prepared for a tour around Central Park on June 17.
His father, Deepak Mahajan, quickly joined his family, with the Mahajans flashing smiles for a souvenir photo that would serve as the last picture of the family together.
The horse reportedly got spooked after its handler got out of the carriage to take a photo of the family, with the out-of-control ride sending Mahajan and his mother flying.
Mahajan, in New York to celebrate his graduation, fatally struck his head while trying to save his mother.
“We are trying to still digest this,” Deepak told Inside Edition. “It’s a shame.”
Since Mahajan’s death, his family has called for the city to permanently ban horse carriages before a similar accident occurs.
“The industry responsible for my nephew’s death is preparing to resume passenger tours this Tuesday, treating the loss of Romanch’s life as a temporary inconvenience,” said Gaurav Mahajan, Romanch’s uncle, in the letter to the mayor’s office.
Ryder’s Law, a bill before the City Council that would phase out the horse carriages, has also been changed to Romanch’s Law by its latest sponsor, Councilman Chris Marte.
Under the bill, it would take two years to phase out the carriages to fully transition their drivers to new jobs, Marte said at a Monday vigil for the teen, which was attended by about a dozen people consisting of his staff and animal advocates.