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Lawyer Accidentally Throws Himself Out a Window to Prove Its Safety
The true story of Garry Hoy and its aftermath.
It’s never good when your name is featured on an episode of 1000 Ways to Die.
That was precisely what happened to Garry Hoy. His story appeared in episode 64 and is so unusual that many people don’t believe it’s real.
It is — unfortunately.
A lawyer turned tragic figure
Garry was an otherwise intelligent man. He was an engineer turned lawyer. He worked in Toronto where he was highly regarded at his firm.
Their office was at the Toronto Dominion Center — a towering downtown building with 56 floors that hosted dozens of businesses.
Garry was a senior partner at Harold Day Wilson. He specialized in safety and compliance which is what made his stunt even more ridiculous.
A stunt that turned deadly
Garry’s firm often got visits from law students who were exploring the legal field and deciding what specialty to pursue.
Because Garry also had an engineering degree, he’d developed an interest in structural design and safety.
His favorite trick was to throw himself against the building’s glass window to demonstrate they wouldn’t break. He’d done the trick more than a dozen times to date.
Having worked in corporate construction, this is the part of the story that puzzles me. Most buildings are hammed together by the cheapest vendors the General Contractor can find.
The buildings are safe — but not that safe.
The stunt routine
It was never revealed why he felt compelled to continually repeat his trick. It wasn’t part of his job description. We can presume it was just his way of showing off.
On July 9th, 1993, he stood in front of a dozen law school students. His usual routine was to back…
