Man on pre-trial release charged with fleeing after rollover crash on Archer Road

Staff report

ARCHER, Fla. – Neal Andrew Troiano, 38, was arrested yesterday after a PIT maneuver led to a rollover crash as he allegedly fled from law enforcement from Cedar Key to Archer.

At about 11:08 a.m. on September 21, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper responded to a call for assistance from Levy County Sheriff’s Deputies who were pursuing Troiano eastbound on State Road 24 (SW Archer Road).

According to a social media post from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), the incident began in Cedar Key after Troiano fled from a traffic stop initiated by a Cedar Key Police Department officer for a trespassing investigation. Cedar Key Police requested assistance from LSCO, and they used spike strips to try to stop Troiano.

LCSO reported that Troiano attempted to hit an FHP Trooper head-on and then ran other drivers off the road as he continued fleeing.

Another trooper joined the pursuit near SW 158th Street and reported that Troiano refused to pull over in response to his lights and sirens, and Troiano swerved and slammed on his brakes in an attempt to crash into the trooper’s patrol vehicle.

The trooper attempted a PIT maneuver (Precision Immobilization Technique) after making sure there was no oncoming traffic, causing Troiano’s pickup truck to travel off the roadway to the right; however, Troiano reportedly gained control of the truck and continued driving eastbound on SW Archer Road.

Again ensuring that there was no oncoming traffic, the trooper reported that he drove along the left side of the pickup truck to attempt another PIT maneuver, and this one caused the pickup truck to travel off the roadway to the left, where it overturned and hit a utility pole on the north shoulder of the roadway.

The trooper blocked the westbound lane with his patrol vehicle to keep the area clear while officers conducted a felony stop, and officers gave verbal commands to Troiano to get out of the vehicle with empty hands. However, Troiano allegedly refused to show his hands or get out; at one point, the trooper reported that he could see Troiano’s hands, and one was empty, but the other hand was holding something that could not be identified.

Deputies and troopers approached the vehicle, and a trooper broke a window on the pickup truck; Troiano eventually got out of the truck, was arrested, and was transported to an emergency room for medical clearance.

Troiano’s Alachua County charges include fleeing with lights and sirens active, resisting an officer without violence, driving without a valid license, and reckless driving. Charges from other counties have not been posted. He has seven felony convictions (non-violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (non-violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2014. He is on pre-trial release following a March 2026 arrest for 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.