‘Didn’t waste a minute of his life’
Dok Boswijk, who died in a crash involving a car and a motorbike in Wellington on Monday, has been described as a much loved, generous, ‘‘mercurial character’’.
His grandmother, Christine Boswijk, struggled to contain her emotion as she discussed the 26-year-old’s death.
‘‘There are no words to express our loss,’’ she said. ‘‘We can’t believe it, we can’t come to terms with it.
‘‘He was like a skyrocket that shoots up and you have this incredible spectacle of things above and around you and then it disappears – and all you’ve got now is the magic that he gave us.’’
She described her grandson as a ‘‘mercurial character’’ who moved from his early work in hospitality to work at Scooterazzi, a Wellington scooter and motorcycle store, where he could better pursue his passion.
‘‘He didn’t talk about things, he got out and he did it. He just didn’t waste a minute of his life.’’
She said even some of those who rode with Dok struggled to find the words to convey their grief. ‘‘Here these men are just silenced by their emotions, which is pretty powerful.’’
Motorbikes had been a central focus of Dok Boswijk’s life since he first learned to ride a small dirt bike he shared with his cousins as a 10-year-old growing up in Nelson.
He was aware of the dangers of motorcycles but worked hard to bolster his skills as a rider, she said.
‘‘He had powerful, beautiful bikes that he loved and cherished. He pushed them, I know he did but he really believed in learning everything he could about riding,’’ Christine Boswijk said.
Cielo Boswijk said his cousin taught others ‘‘to be intrepid’’.
‘‘He taught me to get out of my comfort zone and his passion was enviable.’’
Dok Boswijk also taught riding skills to others, like Emily Taggerty, who said he followed a strict ‘‘no [safety] gear, no ride’’ policy. ‘‘He was passionate that you were riding safe. If you didn’t have gear he would give you his.’’
Mark Hodson, owner of Scooterazzi where Dok worked, said it was ‘‘a great loss’’. ‘‘A very much loved guy who would do anything for anyone that needed it,’’ Hodson said.
Scooterazzi closed its doors yesterday.
Police were called to Station Rd in Khandallah shortly after 6.35am on Monday, with train services halted for more than three hours because the crash happened near railway tracks.
The serious crash unit is investigating.