Suspect Arrested After Excelsior Springs Police Chase Involving Speeding Truck Hauling House!

By Pennie Spruill On Nov 30, 2023

In an unusual event on Thanksgiving night in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, police officers found themselves in a high-speed chase with a vehicle pulling a house. This extraordinary 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, and causing other vehicles to move off the road.

An additional report indicated that the truck and trailer had been involved in a hit-and-run north of the city limits. The police located the truck as it traveled through the city, towing an unlit 60-foot long and 20-foot wide mobile home.

The mobile home was fishtailing back and forth across the roadway, sparking from dragging wires and covering both lanes of travel, posing a significant danger to other road users. The driver, suspected of impairment, failed to yield when officers attempted a routine traffic stop.

Despite deploying stop sticks, the police were unable to stop the truck, which continued to flee at approximately 40 mph. As the pursuit escalated, the Excelsior Springs Police Department called for backup from the Clay County Sheriff’s Department.

The chase came to a dramatic end on Cameron Road, where the mobile home went off the roadway into a ditch, running over a stop sign before the truck finally stopped. Officers apprehended the driver, identified as 38-year-old Robert McKenzie from Mosby, who resisted arrest and was subdued using a taser.

His passenger, Rhonda Merrell, also 38 and from Mosby, was detained without incident. Merrell had an existing warrant for failure to appear on traffic violations. McKenzie was charged with multiple offenses, including felony resisting arrest or stopping by fleeing, creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, and various traffic violations.

Merrell stated that they were trying to move the mobile home to Mosby after it had gotten stuck at a roundabout the week prior. Despite being aware of police attempts to stop them, McKenzie stated his intention was to get the trailer to his residence “for his family.”

Fortunately, no injuries were reported during this incident, which will likely be remembered as one of Excelsior Springs’ more bizarre traffic incidents. While the involved parties face serious charges and legal proceedings, the community is relieved that the episode ended without serious injuries.

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