Survivor of Taconic Parkway Car Fire Arraigned on Illegal Weapon Charge

A man who was badly burned in a car fire Nov. 1 was arrested Feb. 25—after his release from a medical facility—by New York State Police.

John Reno faces a charge of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree, a Class C Felony.

A state trooper and two Good Samaritans pulled Reno from a 2008 Toyota on fire in a wooded area on the right shoulder of the Taconic Parkway near Route 301.

Reno, 53, of Oakland Park, FLA, taken to Westchester County Medical Center by Putnam Valley Volunteer Ambulance. As a result of the crash and fire, Reno had suffered severe burns to his lower extremities.

Police later found that Reno unlawfully possessed a loaded Colt handgun. He was not licensed to carry a concealed handgun in New York or Florida, his home state, because he is a convicted felon.

Following Reno’s release from a medical treatment facility, he was arraigned before the Town of Putnam Valley Court, police said, and sent to the Putnam County Jail without bail.

He is scheduled to reappear in town court March 2