Gaurav Mahajan (uncle) testifies about Romanch's bravery and requests memorial
Gaurav Mahajan, Romanch's uncle, describes Romanch as a brilliant aspiring entrepreneur, recounts his bravery in trying to save his mother, and references decades of carriage-related injuries. He requests a permanent memorial at the site.
Members of the committee, my name is Gaurav Mahajan.
Romesh was my nephew.
I'm speaking in front of you, but I want to be honest with you.
A part of me died with him that day, and it has not come back.
Let me tell you who he was, because he was not a headline.
Romacho was a brilliant boy.
He didn't have small dreams.
He wanted to build something big to be an entrepreneur.
And he talked about it constantly to his father, to me, and anyone who would listen.
He had a smile that pulled you in and a heart that could still sit still, still if someone needed help, whether he knew them or not.
That is not a story we made up for this room.
That is who he was.
And that is exactly how he died, reaching for his mother when the horse bolted.
In the most terrifying moment of his life, with no one at the reins, and everything out of control, my 18-year-old nephew showed true bravery.
Grief takes the future from you a piece at a time.
Romand collected sneakers.
He loved them.
It wrecks me that I will never be able to buy him another pair.
I should be watching him build his business.
Instead, I catch myself staring at the door, waiting for him to walk through it, knowing he won't.
We did not ask to become advocates.
A broken system forced us into it.
Roman's law is written in our tears, but it's not just written in our tears.
It's written in the tears of those individuals and their families who were injured in the 1983 West Drive mass casualty incident and the 1985 incident involving the horse named Chester, who left four women in wheelchairs.
And one woman blind due to severe head trauma.
And the list of tragedies and injuries caused by horse-drawn carriages goes on and on for decades.
Ending with our romance and his mother Priya.
If this law had already existed, my nephew would be alive today, chasing everything he dreamed about.
You have the power to stop this from happening to another family.
I'm asking you, look at us.
Remember his face and pass the law so his soul can finally rest.
In closing, we request a permanent physical memorial at the exact site of the tragedy.
Romancia's unmatched bravery defined the very best of humanity on New York soil.
The ground where he took his final breath must stand forever as a monument to their love, ensuring the city never forgets the boy who gave everything to protect his mother.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Next, we will hear from Anuj Thukrat and Sobhya Thukrat.
I'm sorry.
They have one more.
Oh, they have one more.
Oh, okay.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize that.
Okay.
Go ahead.
I'm sorry.