Staff report
ARCHER, Fla. – Neal Andrew Troiano, 38, was arrested yesterday after a police pursuit from Cedar Key to Archer ended when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper used a PIT maneuver, sending Troiano’s pickup truck into a rollover crash.
At approximately 11:08 a.m. on September 21, an FHP trooper responded to a request for assistance from Levy County Sheriff’s deputies pursuing Troiano eastbound on State Road 24, also known as SW Archer Road.
According to a social media post by the Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), the incident started in Cedar Key when Troiano allegedly fled a traffic stop conducted by a Cedar Key Police Department officer investigating a trespassing complaint. Cedar Key police requested help from LCSO, and deputies deployed spike strips in an attempt to stop him.
LCSO said Troiano allegedly tried to strike an FHP trooper head-on before continuing to flee and forcing other drivers off the roadway.
A second trooper joined the pursuit near SW 158th Street. According to the report, Troiano ignored the trooper’s lights and siren, swerved, and abruptly applied his brakes in an apparent attempt to crash into the patrol vehicle.
After confirming there was no oncoming traffic, the trooper attempted a PIT maneuver, or Precision Immobilization Technique. The maneuver pushed Troiano’s pickup off the roadway to the right, but Troiano reportedly regained control and continued east on SW Archer Road.
The trooper later reported that he again checked for oncoming traffic before driving alongside the pickup to make a second PIT attempt. This maneuver sent the truck off the left side of the road, where it overturned and struck a utility pole on the north shoulder.
The trooper used his patrol vehicle to block the westbound lane while officers established a perimeter and conducted a felony stop. Troiano was ordered to exit the vehicle with his hands visible, but he allegedly refused to show his hands or get out. At one point, the trooper said he could see Troiano’s hands: one appeared empty, while the other was holding an unidentified object.
Deputies and troopers moved toward the pickup, and one trooper broke a window. Troiano eventually exited the vehicle, was taken into custody, and was transported to an emergency room for medical clearance.
Troiano faces Alachua County charges of fleeing with lights and sirens activated, resisting an officer without violence, driving without a valid license, and reckless driving. Charges from other counties had not been posted. Authorities said Troiano has seven prior nonviolent felony convictions and one nonviolent misdemeanor conviction. He previously served a state prison sentence and was released in 2014. He is currently on pretrial release following a March 2026 arrest for allegedly stalking a former girlfriend. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $100,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
