Robin, 21, died in a serious accident outside Gävle: “Liked by everyone”

Robin Henriksson’s life was going smoothly:

New girlfriend, new job, and this fall he was supposed to move back home to Kalix and join the local hockey team.

But on Friday he died in a traffic accident – aged 21.

– He was very popular everywhere. By everyone, says his father David. Latest news clips from Expressen.

The article in brief

■ Robin Henriksson, 21, is one of two people who died in a traffic accident outside Gävle on the night of National Day.

■ His father David Henriksson describes his son as caring, well-liked and family-loving.

■ Robin’s ice hockey clubs also express sadness.

David Henriksson is at a loss for words when it comes to describing his son. He has to pause and gather his strength to cope, but he wants to tell the story.

It has now been a little more than a day since he received the news of his death.

– Robin was the nicest guy in the world. Extremely caring, family-oriented and very interested in sports. He was very well-liked by many people.

Two dead outside Gävle

It was the night between Thursday and Friday that Robin Henriksson, 21, died in a traffic accident just north of Gävle. A car with a total of four young adults then went off the road at high speed and crashed into a tree.

Another person died in the accident, and one is still being treated in hospital with serious injuries. Meanwhile, the driver, a woman in her 25s, has been arrested for aggravated manslaughter, aggravated bodily harm, gross negligence in traffic and aggravated drunk driving.

Played ice hockey in Kalix

Robin Henriksson came from Kalix, where in addition to his mother and father, he also had two brothers and a sister.

And he lived for ice hockey.

– It was the only thing in his life. He was doing everything possible, but hockey was number one, says David Henriksson.

About a year and a half ago, Robin Henriksson was diagnosed with the muscle disease myotonic dystrophy, which contributed to his being forced to stop playing.

But ice hockey had to stay.

– The doctors wanted him to cut back, for the sake of his health, because it could affect his heart. But he didn’t want to give up hockey. He said that “when it starts affecting his heart, I’ll stop”.

I was able to meet everyone at home

Last summer, Robin Henriksson left his parent club Kalix HC to move down to Uddevalla and start playing in Munkedals BK.

– He wanted to try his wings and try something different, says the father.

But during the spring he has been visiting his hometown a lot, and recently he decided to move back up after the summer. He had just been home for two weeks, and the father says that in that time he had time to meet everyone close to him: siblings, cousins, other relatives and friends.

“Be upbeat and cheerful”

He had also met a girlfriend in Gällivare, and got a new job as a salesman for an energy company.

– He was very upbeat and enthusiastic about this new job, says David Henriksson, who describes it as life recently being “on rails” for his son.

Last Sunday, Robin Henriksson traveled south to attend a course in Gävle for his new job.

– The last thing he said to me before he went down was “Dad, I’ll see you after the summer when I get home.”

Sorrow in the clubs

In addition to family and friends, the 21-year-old is also being mourned by the ice hockey clubs where he has been active.

Munkedals BK writes on social media that Robin Henriksson was “a guy with a big heart and a lot of humor.” Kalix HC writes that he was “a caring and happy guy” who “always showed up.”

That image is confirmed by Anders Karlsson Zolland, responsible for marketing and events at Kalix HC, who knew the young man quite well.

– Robin was a really nice guy. He was always good at volunteering, doing everything from DJing to filming matches to coaching youth teams, and was often a leader at our summer hockey school. It’s quite unique, he says.

Anders Karlsson Zolland describes the 21-year-old as “a good role model”, and says that the club will try to organize some kind of memorial service.

– Often in sports, people are remembered for their athletic qualities. But I remember him most of all as a nice person.