Horse, On First Day Of Pulling A Carriage, Injured After Colliding With Car In Midtown

A carriage horse was injured after colliding with a car in Midtown on Thursday. And it happened on the first day that the horse was pulling a carriage.

The incident happened around 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of West 55th Street and Eighth Avenue. An NYPD spokesperson said the horse was pulling the carriage when the animal became startled; the operator lost control, and the horse collided with the back of a parked 2018 BMW sedan.

In the aftermath of the collision, the horse became unconscious and fell down. It could be seen lying partially on the sidewalk before waking up and violently kicking the car (warning: somewhat graphic video here). The carriage was also partially covered in blood, and broken pieces of it were flung across the pavement.

The police confirmed that this was the horse's first day pulling a carriage in NYC.

Police add that the horse suffered lacerations to its midsection, head and front right leg; the operator took the horse to Clinton Park Stables. The current condition of the horse is unknown. No one else was injured in the incident.

Animal advocacy group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) said in a statement that it was asking the city to remove this particular horse from the streets—they offered to place it at a sanctuary or farm—and once against called on the city to fast track legislation to stop the use of horse-driven carriages altogether.

“Another day, another carriage horse crime scene," said Edita Birnkrant, NYCLASS Executive Director. "This injured horse must be removed from New York City streets immediately, will this carriage driver continue to be a menace on the roads? There is no question that this antiquated industry is a clear and present danger to horses, drivers, passengers, and people on city streets. This is 2021, not 1921. After years of broken promises, it’s time for city leaders to take real action to end the abuses of this dangerous industry."

NYCLASS, which was under investigation for its donations to Mayor Bill de Blasio's now-defunct non-profit back in 2016, has been fighting for various industry regulations for the horses while also supporting an outright ban on the carriage horse industry. The industry became a flashpoint in NYC politics after de Blasio originally promised to ban carriage horses during his 2013 campaign. He eventually supported rules to instead reduce the number of horses in the city and limit them to Central Park.