Katrin Shockley of McMinnville

A woman riding in the front seat of a Nissan Altima allegedly grabbed the steering wheel Saturday, deliberately causing a high-speed crash that nearly turned into a head-on just south of McMinnville on Highway 99W.

According to state police, she fled the scene initially, returned to tell a false tale about having been kidnapped at gunpoint, then fled again upon arrival at the McMinnville Police Station.

They identified her as Katrin Loretta Shockley, 43, of McMinnville, who has an extensive criminal record that includes multiple driving offenses. Court records list several addresses for her.

After being tracked down with the help of city police officers and county sheriff's deputies, Shockley was booked into the Yamhill County Jail on five counts of reckless endangering and one count each of driving while suspended, giving false information to a police officer, reckless driving and violating her probation on a previous offense. Bail was set at $25,000.

She was arraigned Monday in Yamhill County Circuit Court on a single count of reckless endangering, which is a Class A misdemeanor. Judge Ronald Stone set bail at $15,000 and appointed McMinnville attorney Charles Lisle to handle her defense.

OSP Senior Trooper Bridget Taylor gave this account:

Shockley was riding in a southbound 1997 Altima driven by Patrocinio Sanchez-Garcia, 31, of 1140 S.E. Davis St., McMinnville. He originally identified himself as Joel Garcia-Lopez, 27, but a fingerprint check revealed his true identity.

Shockley allegedly grabbed the wheel and forced the Altima into the northbound lane, attempting to cause a head-on. Sanchez swerved the car back toward its side of the road, but couldn't avoid sideswiping a northbound 1999 Ford Escort driven by Maurgarita Mirelez, 59, of 103 Stanley St., Amity.

Shockley fled on foot, but reappeared before police arrived. She said she had been kidnapped at gunpoint, but police later determined that to be false.

A passerby called 911 and transported Shockley to the McMinnville Police Station. Upon arrival, Shockley leaped out and took off, but was apprehended following a brief search.

There were three passengers in the Altima and one in the Escort. No explanation was offered in the OSP account for the alleged attempt to send the Altima careening into the oncoming Escort.

Sanchez was also taken into custody. He was initially cited for driving without a license and subsequently booked into the county jail on two counts of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and one count each of identity theft and giving false information to a police officer, Taylor said.

He was subsequently served with arrest warrants from Linn and Benton counties alleging failure to appear and a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation hold alleging illegal entry into the country. There is no bail on the warrants and hold.

Shockley has previous convictions for drug and alcohol offenses. They include driving under the influence convictions from January 2000 and May 2007.

On the most recent conviction, she was sentenced to an 80-day jail term, $2,000 fine and lifetime driver's license suspension.