Death of Garry Hoy
Garry Hoy was a Canadian lawyer who died when he fell from the 24th floor of his office building at the Toronto-Dominion Centre in Toronto, Ontario. In an attempt to prove to a group of prospective articling students that the building's glass windows were unbreakable — a stunt he had performed without incident many times before — he threw his body against the glass; however this time the entire window frame gave way, and Hoy fell to his death.
Background
Hoy was a popular partner and corporate and securities law specialist for the law firm of Holden Day Wilson in Toronto. While giving a tour of the Toronto-Dominion Centre to a group of dozens of articling students, he attempted to demonstrate the strength of the structure's window glass by slamming himself into a window. He had performed this stunt many times in the past, bouncing harmlessly off the glass. After one attempt with the same result, Hoy tried again, but the window separated from its frame, causing the intact window and Hoy to fall from the 24th floor, killing Hoy.Structural engineer Bob Greer said "I don't know of any building code in the world that would allow a man to run up against a glass and withstand it."
The shock of losing one of its most successful and popular lawyers was a contributing factor in the decline and closing of Holden Day Wilson in 1996, which at the time was the largest law firm closure in Canada.
In popular culture
Hoy's experience was featured in numerous television shows, including MythBusters, The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd, and 1000 Ways to Die.Hoy's death was also adapted as a fictionalized plot point in the fifth series of Canadian dramedy series Workin' Moms and the second series of Canadian comedy series Billable Hours. In the opening of the second season, episode 1, "Birthday Suits", a lawyer attempts to demonstrate the strength of the office building windows by throwing himself against one of them, but the window shatters and he falls to his death.