Hoy, a well-regarded member of the Holden Day Wilson law firm, had previously performed this stunt without issue, but on July 9, 1993, his attempt ended in catastrophe during a reception for incoming articling students.
The tragedy unfolded in a small conference room adjacent to the boardroom where the reception was taking place, on the 24th floor of a building constructed in 1969 located in Toronto's Financial District .
Holden Day Wilson, which was situated on the ill-fated 24th floor, closed its doors three years later in what became the biggest law firm collapse in Canadian history , with Hoy's death noted as one of the contributing factors.
At the time of the accident, a representative from the firm clarified that the glass itself did not break, but rather popped out of the frame, leading to the deadly plunge. "It was a totally freak accident," remarked Peter Lauwers, managing partner of Holden Day Wilson, commenting on the strange events that led to Hoy's passing.
Bob Greer, a structural engineer, told the Toronto Star, "I don't know of any building code in the world that would allow a 160-pound [73 kg] man to run up against a glass and withstand it."
Colleagues have been paying touching tributes to Mr. Hoy, describing him as "one of the best and brightest" at the firm. It's been reported that Mr. Hoy had previously performed this dangerous stunt multiple times before, always bouncing back unscathed.
Both police and coroners officials ruled the death as an accident.
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