Heartbreaking: Spooked Carriage-Industry Horse Crashes Into Taxi (Photo)

Published June 10, 2014 by Jennifer O’Connor. Last Updated April 2, 2024.

< 1 min read

More proof that horses and Manhattan just don’t mix: A horse named Pumpkin, who was pulling a horse-drawn carriage, got spooked and bolted, leaving pedestrians scattering for safety. A passerby was pulled off his feet and dragged after he grabbed the reins in an attempt to stop the horse. A bicyclist caught up with Pumpkin and wedged the horse between a taxi and a car, smashing the cab’s door in the process.

@deblasionyc horse runs into street causing taxi to hit its carriage, contorting car door, Central Park South #NYC pic.twitter.com/xCOQKDRQZy
— Sasha Damouni Ellis (@SashaDamouni) June 9, 2014

In the middle of the melee, Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker tweeted that he almost got run over by the horse “running wild through the city.” Right after the incident, many New Yorkers and tourists took to Twitter to express their concern for Pumpkin as well as for public safety.

Almost got ran over by a horse carriage running wild through the city.
— Matt den Dekker (@UpperDekker) June 9, 2014

This is just the latest dangerous incident involving horse-drawn carriages in New York City, and the evidence is crystal clear: These carriages do not belong in the city.

What You Can Do

Show the City Council that you support Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to ban the dangerous carriages and retire the horses to sanctuaries. Tweet a message to @BillDeBlasio and the City Council speaker @MMViverito using the hashtag #BanHorseCarriages.