N.Y. drummer denies causing horse's death

A musician whose drumming allegedly caused a deadly horse rampage in New York's Central Park last week has denied spooking the horse.

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Musician James Williams said his drumming did not alarm Smoothie the horse, sending the animal on a frightening dash that later claimed its life, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.

"I don't like to kill flies or roaches. I don't kill horses," the 47-year-old said Saturday.

Carriage drivers who were in the park at the time of Friday's accident alleged drumming in the area was so loud it spooked the 13-year-old mare. The allegedly frightened animal broke loose from its carriage during its agitated state and ran headlong into a tree, suffering fatal injuries.

Local horse owners have since been attempting to have musicians banned from areas where horses travel, a move Williams is thoroughly against.

"These guys work and I try to work. Both things have gone on together for years," he told the Daily News. "These horses work in New York. You got fire engines, you got bands in parades. You got construction. It's New York."