Defiance man sentenced to prison for striking woman with his vehicle

A Defiance man who purposefully struck a woman with his vehicle last year has been sentenced to prison in Defiance County Common Pleas Court.

John Ware, 33, 2218 Royal Palm Ave., was given a prison term of six to nine years by Judge Joseph Schmenk on a charge of felonious assault, a second-degree felony. He was given credit for 48 days served in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio while his case was pending.

A second count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, was dismissed as part of the plea negotiations between Defiance County Prosecutor Morris Murray’s office and Ware’s attorney, E. Charles Bates of Defiance, along with a charge of domestic, a fifth-degree felony, from a separate incident earlier in 2023.

Ware had pleaded guilty to the felonious assault charge on June 26 when a pre-sentence investigation was ordered.

He had been indicted by a Defiance County grand jury in August 2023 on charges that he intentionally struck a female with his vehicle on Hopkins Street on Aug. 11, 2023, then left the scene. However, he turned himself in later that day.

The victim was taken by Defiance Fire and Rescue to ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital.

According to Murray, the woman was thrown about 30 feet after being struck and sustained serious, but not life-threatening injuries.