Electric shock may have caused Central Park carriage horse to bolt in fatal crash, union says

New York - There are new questions and growing concerns following a deadly horse carriage crash in Central Park. 

The Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage horse drivers, now says the horse involved might have been shocked by electricity when it suddenly bolted, causing the crash that killed an 18-year-old tourist. 

The union claims stray voltage from underground electrical cables was discovered in the Cherry Hill section of the park around the same time as the deadly accident in June. 

What we know:

Two weeks ago, a carriage horse stable owner, Cornelius Byrne, testified to the New York City Council that the horse, Samson, acted as if he had been electrocuted right before the crash. 

"The horse at the fountain that ran away, he ran away so viciously, nobody has ever experienced that," Byrne told the council at a July 15 hearing. "And at Cherry Hill, there is a massive infrastructure of underground wiring that is an important part of the power grid for the whole of Central Park and for the surrounding areas… This area is now wet and muddy and sandy throughout. Wet sand is highly conductive to electricity… and a horse standing there with four shoes could easily be hit with stray voltage in the sand. This could be the very probable cause of what happened to that horse."

The backstory:

The crash in June killed 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, whose death led to renewed calls to outlaw horse carriage rides in the city. 

Mahajan's family made an emotional plea to city leaders to pass legislation banning them during the same council hearing. 

Dig deeper:

According to the TWU, Byrne asked Con Edison to check for stray voltage in the area of the park the day after his testimony. The union said a Con Ed employee responded five days later via text, writing, "We found the problem and cut the power." 

A union rep told FOX 5 NY that power was shut off at the Cherry Hill fountain, including nearby lamps and lights leading to the tavern. 

Pictures shared with FOX 5 NY show Con Ed and the NYC Parks Department have been doing work in the area and signs reading, "Warning. Do Not Enter. Possible Electrical Condition." 

In a statement, TWU Vice President Alexander Kemp said, "Now that we know there is a utility failure, it would be horrifically unfair to eliminate the jobs of 200 overwhelmingly immigrant workers industry without allowing a full investigation to be conducted."

"Blue-collar carriage drivers should not be punished for an unforeseeable hazard caused by flaws in the city’s power grid," he added.

What's next:

Con Ed confirmed it found "very low levels" of stray voltage on July 16 and July 23.

A rep for Con Ed said it was determined neither instance originated from the utility's own equipment, adding that all questions should be directed to the City Department of Transportation. 

FOX 5 NY is following up with DOT. 

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