3 hurt as carriage horse bolts in NYC

Three people were injured Thursday when a carriage horse broke free in Columbus Circle and bolted, leaving remnants of the broken wooden cab strewn about the street as rush hour began, officials and witnesses said.

The mayhem started at around 4:20 p.m., when the horse's driver tried to make a sharp turn into the park at the north side of Columbus Circle, witnesses said. The horse lost its balance and went into a frenzy, according to Sidiki Tapsoba, who arranges pedicab rides in the park.

The horse and carriage quickly slammed into a parked van, splitting the cab in two and spilling the two terrified passengers in the backseat onto the pavement, where the man slammed his head. The horse then ran down West 60th Street, hitting a livery car and shedding the rest of its carriage.

An officer at the scene said the horse ran to Ninth Avenue, where it made a left turn and then waited at the red light. A female pedestrian was able to grab hold of the horse's reins, and a police officer reportedly tied it up to a nearby pole.

The horse reportedly suffered minor injuries.

The couple was in stable condition at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, according to a police spokesman.

The driver was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center, and was also in stable condition Thursday night. Those injured were not identified.