Crystal River man allegedly batters girlfriend, steals her truck then flees from deputies

Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO)

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on April 30, 2024 Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) Deputy Nick Duncan was alerted to “Be On the LookOut," commonly cknwn in law enforcement as a "BOLO," issued by the Chiefland Police Department for a stolen truck.

Chiefland police officers had responded to a domestic violence call where the victim reported, that during an argument with her boyfriend while driving in Chiefland, her boyfriend had battered her, forcefully removed her from her vehicle, and then took off, stealing her truck.

Levy County Deputy Nick Duncan saw the stolen vehicle, driven by the suspect - later identified as 40 year-old Daniel Maxwell of Crystal River, Florida - traveling south on U.S. Highway 19, north of Inglis, Florida.

Deputy Duncan pulled onto the roadway, behind the truck, and turned on his overhead emergency lights, signaling the driver to pull over. Maxwell briefly pulled over, but soon hit the gas and fled from Deputy Duncan, who pursued the fleeing driver at speeds in excess of 100 mph, traveling south on US 19.

At the outskirts of Inglis, Levy County Deputy Kelly Kimpel positioned her patrol vehicle in the median and deployed Stop Sticks (metal spikes) which punctured and disintegrated the front, driver’s side tire of the fleeing vehicle. However, this did not deter the fleeing felon who continued south on US 19 into Citrus County with reckless disregard for safety, endangering other motorists on the roadway.

The suspect continued to flee from Deputy Duncan, swerving around traffic and running red lights as they entered Crystal River. The suspect turned left (east) onto State Road 44, made a few evasive turns, then lost control of the stolen truck on NE 1st Street, crashing into mailboxes and a power pole then into a tree before coming to a stop.

See a video showing a portion of the chase, including the crash, here:
levyso.com/driver-flees-from-deputies.

Deputy Duncan used his push bumper, to pin the driver’s door closed, to prevent the driver from exiting the vehicle and running away. Deputy Duncan pursued the stolen truck for a distance of approximately 20 miles.

Daniel Maxwell was taken into custody. He was booked into the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto, Florida on charges of aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and driving with a suspended driver’s license. He will be held in Citrus County awaiting transfer to the Levy County Detention Bureau in Bronson, Florida.