A 51-year-old sushi chef who spent 25 years at Nobu Malibu was killed Saturday morning when a 16-year-old driver slammed a Range Rover into his parked car while he napped before his shift.
Ryo Uchimiya had parked along the curb on Pacific Coast Highway and was resting in his sedan ahead of a catering gig when the teenager’s SUV struck the rear of his car at roughly 6:50 a.m., according to KTLA. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the teen appeared to be speeding at the time of the crash. Investigators found no indication he was impaired.
The impact set off a chain-reaction collision, pushing Uchimiya’s sedan into two other parked vehicles ahead of it, surveillance footage showed.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office ruled Uchimiya’s death an accident, attributing it to multiple blunt force injuries, the New York Post reported.
It remains unclear whether the teenage driver will face charges. The case is still under investigation.
A witness told KTLA the young driver seemed shaken after the crash and may not have even held a license.
“I heard throughout the day that maybe he didn’t even have a license,” the witness said. “He’s a young kid. He looked very young and very confused and his parents didn’t even show up to find him. He was sitting there for two hours by himself.”
Residents and workers near the restaurant say the stretch of PCH where the crash occurred is notorious for speeding drivers, according to KTLA. The Malibu City Council declared a local emergency over dangerous conditions on the highway in November 2023, weeks after a speeding driver killed four Pepperdine University students on the same road.
A husband, father and longtime colleague
Uchimiya is being remembered by family and coworkers as a devoted husband, father of two and skilled chef.
The manager of Nobu Malibu described the restaurant’s staff as a close-knit family rallying to support Uchimiya’s relatives.
“Obviously, it’s been a very, very difficult day for so many people,” the manager told KTLA.
A fellow Nobu chef offered his own tribute to the New York Post.
“He was a real nice guy, very talented chef,” the chef said. “It’s such a shame. He was resting, getting ready for a catering gig. We all get here really early.”
A Nobu hostess told the outlet staff members were still coming to terms with the loss.
“We’re not ready to talk about it now,” she said. “We all need time.”
