Midlands couple arrested in connection with hit-and-run

A Midlands man is facing two counts of attempted murder following a hit-and-run accident early Monday morning, police said.

Patrick McGuire appeared in court via video from Penetanguishene Prison on Friday morning. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm and failure to stop at the scene of an accident occasioning bodily harm.

McGuire, 39, was arrested Tuesday along with his girlfriend, 25-year-old Georgia Quanbury. Quanbury is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting attempted murder.

Police said Michelle Vainer, 28, was struck by a vehicle that then fled the scene of the crash near Wellington and Robert streets in Midland around 3:40 a.m. Monday. She was found in the roadway with serious injuries and taken to a Toronto-area hospital, where she is still fighting for her life.

Police confirmed that the vehicle allegedly involved in the accident was found and confiscated a short time later.

According to court documents obtained by CTV News, McGuire is also accused of attempted murder of Vainer’s partner, Joe LeClair.

Vainer and LeClair were arrested in Midland two years ago and charged with possession of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, for the purpose of trafficking. Charges against Vainer were dropped earlier this summer. LeClair is scheduled to appear in court next week.

CTV News has learned that McGuire and Quanbury also have previous convictions dating back several years.

According to court records, Quanbury has been charged every year since 2017. Charges include theft, reckless driving and drug possession.

McGuire has previously been charged with driving while in custody this summer.

During the hearing on Friday, he told the court that he did not have a lawyer.

The defendants are scheduled to appear again in a week. The charges against Quanbury and McGuire have not yet been examined in court.