NEW YORK — An 18-year-old died on Wednesday after being thrown to the ground when a carriage horse lost control in Central Park, New York. The accident occurred just before 3 p.m. while the victim was riding in a carriage with three other passengers.

Video footage showed the horse running through the park as two people exited the four-wheeled carriage while it was in motion. A second video showed the carriage overturning after making contact with the wheels of another carriage on a park roadway. At least two passengers were ejected from the carriage cab during the incident.

The 18-year-old was admitted to a hospital in critical condition and later died. The three other passengers involved in the accident declined medical treatment. A representative for the Transport Workers Union stated that the driver dismounted to photograph passengers, which violates industry regulations for horse-drawn carriages.

Alexander Kemp, administrative vice president of a trade union local chapter, requested a full investigation into the carriage accident. Kemp stated, "Safety in the park has been a growing concern among many, and improvements are needed to be made with respect to all vehicles, including e-bicycles, delivery vehicles, pedicabs, and horse-drawn carriages."

The horse involved in the accident had been working in the park for six weeks prior to the incident. This accident followed a separate incident one week earlier, where a horse fatally collapsed in the park.

Advocates have proposed banning the park carriage industry, citing concerns about horse welfare and public safety. The Central Park Conservancy, a non-profit organization that manages the park, publicly supported banning horse-drawn carriages in a statement issued last summer. The Conservancy's statement read, "A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America." The horse-drawn carriage industry in the park has operated for 150 years.