Video: Two tourists injured as carriage horse breaks free in New York
NYpost.com
A horse on one of New York's famous Central Park carriage tours bucked itself free of its cart - and left its two passengers falling into the street.
The two tourists were enjoying a ride near Columbus Circle when driver Mehmet Dundar tried to merge into traffic; the horse, called Oreo, reportedly got spooked by a van and the rush-hour vehicles, which sent him into a frenzy.
The six-year-old animal freed himself from the carriage, sending the driver and the tourists, named Nathan and Kelly Thompson, to the ground.
The horse went galloping off down Ninth Avenue, where officers from the NYPD Mounted Unit were able to catch him and take him back to his stable.
The driver was taken to the Bellevue Hospital Centre with a possible broken leg, according to the NY Daily News, and Nathan Thompson was cut on his heel, and was seen being treated in the street.
Both passengers were taken to hospital for treatment to minor injuries, according to news.com.au.
The horse suffered minor scratches to his mouth, has been suspended from working, and will be examined again before a decision is made about whether he returns to work.
The incident has sparked outcry amongst groups opposed to the carriages; Elizabeth Forel, president of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, said there have been 11 incidents involving the horses in the past year.
See the NY Post footage here:
See the NY Daily News footage here:
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