Doug Abernethy woke up in Sunnybrook Medical Centre trauma unit and was told by a doctor that his 15 year old brother Tim was dead. The Abernethy brothers spent a lot of time together, and on this occasion were heading to a cottage to do some fishing. A drunk driver with a blood alcohol level of more than two times the legal limit lost control of his vehicle and crashed head on into the Abernethy vehicle, killing Tim Abernethy.

The crash occurred just south of Gravenhurst, Ontario. Doug and Tim Abernethy were taken to South Muskoka Hospital in Bracebridge. The doctors at Bracebridge Hospital tried to resuscitate Tim so they could airlift him to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. But Tim's injuries were massive. The resuscitation attempts failed to revive him, Tim died of his injuries. His older brother Doug was transported to the trauma unit at Sunnybrook Hospital for specialized treatments and further surgery.