The 16-year-old was driving when his father Keith Davies, 54, was killed in a head-on collision with a truck on Friday afternoon in Dairy Flat, north of Auckland.
Richard, who was taught to drive by his father, has had a learner licence for a year, and says he is good behind the wheel.
The teenager was driving on Dairy Flat Highway about 4.30pm when he took a corner too fast and slid out of control, crossing the centre line in to the path of an oncoming truck.
Before the crash, the Whangaparaoa College student had left school for the long weekend and had driven to collect his father, who had been in North Shore Hospital with ongoing health issues.
Richard was driving back home to Stanmore Bay when the crash happened.
Yesterday, two days later, he was coming to grips with the reality of life without his dad.
He told NZME. News Service the memory of the crash kept him up at night.
"I felt the back slid out a bit, causing me to go in to the median strip. I tried to turn in the opposite direction and then the truck came full force in to me and it hit dad's side more than mine.
"I managed to get out and I went around the car to dad's side and the truck driver and me were trying to get the door open. We managed to get the door off but dad was trapped in the front seat."
After that, it's a blur for Richard.
He was taken by ambulance to North Shore Hospital and was told in the emergency department his father had died at the scene of the crash.
"It was confusing, I couldn't really think. So much had happened in one day and I didn't know what to say because I didn't want to believe it."
Richard's mother Maria Webb said he told her in the hospital: "It's my fault."
He said he still felt that way last night.
"Yes, because I was the one that crossed the centre line."
Mr Davies was the first fatality of Labour Weekend.
It was he who had taught Richard how to drive and it was in Mr Davies' car that Richard had crashed.
Richard said he would sometimes drive without a full-licensed supervisor in the car "because Dad trusted me", and he knew that was wrong.
Since the crash, Richard has been for one small drive with his caregiver Michelle Breslin, and it would take him a while before he got his confidence back, he said.
Ms Breslin said Richard was a good kid.
"He's sensible ... he's already got plans, at this young age that he is, for what he wants to do. I think that's amazing for a boy of his young age.
"He's not a wild, drinking, drug-taking hooligan, he's really the most level kid I've ever known."
Richard remembered his father as hard-working and a good dad. Mr Davies had worked as a coach driver for Ritchies.
"He loved working. He's been driving buses for 35 years this year.
"We never had an argument or anything."
Ms Webb said her son and Mr Davies were very close.
"He was so proud of his son."
Richard, Ms Webb and Ms Breslin went out to the site of the crash on Saturday to lay some flowers.
Ms Breslin said she saw heavy traffic flows taking the corner quickly and speeding.
Richard -- who has dreamed of being a police officer since he was 8 years' old -- said he hoped to be able to attend the final week of school at Whangaparaoa College this week before he begins his study period for NCEA exams.
But he and his mother also face the difficult task of planning for Mr Davies' funeral on Tuesday.
He has a message for other young drivers: "Take it easy, slow down."
Rodney Area Commander Inspector Mark Fergus said last night the investigation was still in its initial stages.
"It will be some weeks before we can come down to the cause and start considering charges.
"We are working through the evidence and identifying the causes but it will be some weeks before we look at charges, if any."
By Sophie Ryan of NZME. News Service
