A young man loses control of his car on an icy road at night, crashes into a tree, and dies. A tragic but not unusual accident, thinks forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Ryan, especially since her friend and colleague Trevor Stuart has confirmed the diagnosis through an autopsy. However, the young man's parents do not believe in a natural death and ask Dr. Samantha Ryan to conduct a second autopsy on the body. She discovers that he was murdered and ultimately has to confront the dark sides of familiar acquaintances.