It happened near Tavern on the Green around 2:45 p.m.
Police say the 18-year-old fell from the horse carriage and was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition.
Witnesses say there was a family of four that was getting back into the carriage when the horse named Sampson got spooked and took off. It's unclear how many members of the family were actually in the carriage when Sampson took off.
"It happened so quickly they didn't have a chance to think about running or getting out of there," said witness Ron Pobuda.
Video shows a person thrown from the speeding carriage and then the carriage flipping on its side.
The carriage driver was not in the carriage at the time, and in a statement from TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp, it said that it appeared the driver was "at least at arm's length from his horse to take a photo of his passengers in the carriage."
He said that the horse, which had been in theparkfor only six weeks, took off for unknown reasons. The carriage clipped the wheel of another carriage and toppled.
Kemp called the driver's actions "unacceptable."
"A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos - ever. We support a full investigation. We also support enhanced driving training, tougher examinations with a practical component demonstrating proficiency, and rules governing the introduction of new horses into the business. Thousands upon thousands of rides are taken without incident but steps must be taken to prevent accidents like this," Kemp said in the statement. "We are deeply troubled by reports of a passenger being injured and are wishing him a speedy recovery."
The horse is said to be OK.
It comes just over a week after a carriage horse named Deniz died while carrying passengers in the park.
His death was determined to be a result of eating a toxic plant, but it has still renewed calls to end carriage horses in New York City.
The Central Park conservancy, which supports a ban of the horse carriages, released the following statement:
"As details of today's incident come into focus, our thoughts are with the injured. That this frightening situation is just days after the previous one underscores the dangers posed by horse carriages to Park visitors, carriage drivers, and the horses themselves. The Central Park Conservancy renews its call to ban carriages in Central Park as a matter of public safety and public health. We hope today's injuries are the last we ever see."
PETA Director Ashley Byrne also released a statement in response to Wednesday's incident, and the previous one, saying "From collapsing horses to careening carriages, how many more disasters have to strike before we get these beleaguered horses out of the park? For everyone's safety, PETA is calling on council members, Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman, and Speaker Julie Menin to stop dithering and pass Ryder's Law immediately."
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