

November 23, 2023 – A pickup truck towing a large trailer home led Excelsior Springs Police on a dangerous and unusual pursuit through the city, resulting in the arrest of two individuals.
The incident began around 8:40 PM when the Excelsior Springs Police Department received reports of a truck pulling a wide load trailer without lights, swerving dangerously on southbound Highway 69, forcing vehicles into the ditch. An additional caller said the truck/trailer had been involved in a hit-and-run north of the city limits.
ESPD located the truck as it traveled through Excelsior Springs, near the intersection of Wornall Road and Highway 69, towing an unlit 60-foot long and 20-foot wide mobile home. The official report supplied by ESPD indicated that the mobile home was fishtailing back and forth across the roadway, covering both lanes of travel, and other vehicles on the road slowed or moved to the sides of the road to try to get to safety.
Officers attempted a routine traffic stop, but the truck failed to yield and continued south on Highway 69 at approximately 40 mph, with the mobile home fishtailing dangerously and sparking from dragging wires. Despite efforts, including the deployment of stop sticks, the truck evaded capture and continued to flee.
The pursuit escalated as the unit headed out of Excelsior Springs with ESPD calling for backup from the Clay County Sheriff’s Department. However, the truck made an abrupt left turn onto Cameron Road, where The mobile home went off the roadway into the ditch, running over a stop sign, before the truck finally came to a stop in the middle of Cameron Rd.
Officers apprehended the driver, identified as Robert McKenzie (38) of Mosby, who resisted arrest and was subdued using a taser, and his passenger, Rhonda Merrell (38), also from Mosby, who was detained without incident. Merrell had a warrant out of Liberty, MO, for failure to appear on traffic violations. Liberty confirmed the warrant, and ESPD transported Merrell to the Liberty Police Department later that evening.
McKenzie was charged with felony resisting arrest or stop by fleeing, creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death. He was also cited for failure to obey traffic signals, careless and imprudent driving, violating traffic lane regulations, driving while revoked, failing to provide proof of insurance or financial responsibility, operating a vehicle that exceeds the legal width of 8 1/2 feet and length of 45 feet, and failing to register the vehicle (or having no plates).
Merrell informed officers that she and McKenzie were attempting to move the mobile home to Mosby after it had gotten stuck at a roundabout at the intersection of 116 Hwy/69 Hwy the week prior. She said the Missouri Highway Patrol had contacted McKenzie and told him that he had one week to get the trailer moved. McKenzie said he planned to stop the vehicle when he arrived at his address in Mosby. Although he saw the police vehicles attempting to stop him, he said he just wanted to get the trailer to his residence “for his family.”
The chase through Excelsior Springs will likely be remembered as one of the town’s more bizarre traffic incidents. While serious charges and legal proceedings loom for the involved parties, it’s a relief that this wacky episode ended without serious injuries. This incident not only provided a unique tale for the town’s lore but also a vivid reminder of the unexpected turns life can take — sometimes literally down the highway.


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Didn’t Liberty arrest a guy riding Naked on a Motorcycle on I-35 and 152HWY? I think the NUDE BIKER was Equivalent in being a Butt Head but only dangerous to the biker’s junk. Towing a House was a lot more dangerous to other people on the road. So what is next on Life’s Highway of Weird Stuff?
Well they told him to move it. Sad story.