Prineville pair arrested after police pursuit, crash

A Prineville woman was arrested late Sunday night, along with her male passenger, after she failed to stop at a stop sign and refused to pull over, leading to a pursuit – and minor damage to a Crook County Sheriff’s Office patrol car, which she backed into in an attempt to flee, deputies said.

A sheriff’s sergeant tried to stop a black Honda Civic around 11:35 p.m. for running a stop sign at Northwest Gerke Road and the Madras Highway, said sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Bottoms.

The car, driven by Shelly Wickman, 26, sped away, failing to yield to the sergeant, and was pursued northbound on the Madras Highway, then east on Ryegrass Road, Bottoms said.

A short time later, the Honda spun out of control in the middle of the road and was now facing the pursuing sergeant. The sergeant tried to block the suspects’ car but it sped around the sergeant and off the road, into a ditch.

The suspect’s car was blocked by a fence, and the pursuit sergeant blocked the rear of the car with his patrol car.

As the sergeant was getting out of his patrol car, Wickman put her car in reverse and struck the patrol car, which sustained minor damage, Bottoms said.

The sergeant ordered Wickman to shut off the car, and she did. He held Wickman and her passenger, Danjero Shetler, 22, also of Prineville, at gunpoint until other deputies and officers arrived on the scene.

Wickman was arrested on felony attempt to elude and officer and reckless driving charges. Shetler also was taken into custody on a Parole and Probation Department detainer, Bottoms said.

Both were lodged at the Crook County Jail and Wickman later was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail in Madras, as the Prineville facility is not able to house females, Bottoms said.

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Prineville police.