Midland man pleads guilty to dangerous driving in hit-and-run

Midland man Patrick McGuire pleaded guilty in a hit-and-run case that sent a woman to the hospital in serious condition.

A Midland, Ont. man initially charged with attempted murder has pleaded guilty to being behind the wheel of a car that hit a woman before fleeing the scene last summer.

Patrick McGuire, 40, walked out of the Barrie courthouse Friday in good spirits after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing bodily harm and leaving the scene of a crash that sent a Midland woman to hospital in life-threatening condition in August 2024.

McGuire, who is represented by defence lawyer Stephanie Marcade, accepted responsibility for his role in the hit-and-run that nearly killed Michelle Vainer following an argument at a home near Wellington and Robert streets.

McGuire had been with his girlfriend, Georgia Quanbury, that night when Quanbury and Vainer got into a fight. McGuire, while behind the wheel of his car, hit Vainer who was rushed to hospital in Toronto and spent several weeks fighting for her life.

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McGuire’s guilty plea came two months after Quanbury made a deal of her own after admitting to assaulting three women and threatening Vainer, who has an outstanding criminal matter of her own before the courts scheduled for trial this fall.

Vainer has a history of drug charges dating back several years. The allegations against her have not been tested in court.

Following five months in jail, McGuire was released from custody under strict conditions in early January. He remains banned from driving ahead of sentencing scheduled for early September.