The Accident

"The Accident" is a crucial event in Finn Cooper's life, as it was the catalyst of a series of unfortunate events in both his and his brother's lives.

The Event
Two years before the events of the novel, the Cooper family (father David, mother April, aunt Heather, and sons Zach and Finn) were preparing to go on a cross-country vacation. Shortly before the trip commenced, Finn suddenly fell ill, forcing him to stay behind. Zach volunteered to stay with him and care for him while the other three family members prepared to leave. Unbeknownst to all else, Finn was simply feigning illness to avoid going on the trip and spend time with his brother.

While driving on a highway, a car swerved into the Coopers' van. The car belonged to a man named Jeff Grey, who was intoxicated at the time and driving recklessly. Both cars collided with each other; however, while Jeff's car slid off the rode and into a ditch, leaving him relatively unharmed, the other was sent careening into a garbage truck, before bursting into flames, killing all three inside. Jeff emerged from his car and was immediately shocked by his actions, bursting into tears.

Life dealt the Coopers another blow when Jeff, who had been brought to trial for his actions, was sentenced to only six months in jail after "no sufficient witness" was found. Zach promptly dropped out of his freshman class and used his family's insurance money to buy himself and his brother an apartment, most likely due to their own house being foreclosed.