Nobu Malibu Sushi Chef Killed When Teen Driver Hits His Parked Car on PCH

A longtime sushi chef at Nobu Malibu was killed Saturday morning when a 16-year-old driver crashed into his parked car along Pacific Coast Highway while he was napping before his shift.

Ryo Uchimiya, 51, had worked at the famed Japanese restaurant for 25 years. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, he had parked his sedan along the curb and was resting inside it ahead of a catering job when the teenager, driving a Range Rover, slammed into the rear of the vehicle at around 6:50 a.m.

Investigators said the teen appeared to be speeding at the time of the crash but found no indication he was driving under the influence. It remains unclear whether he will face charges, and the case remains under investigation.

Surveillance footage showed the SUV striking Uchimiya’s parked car with enough force to push it into two other vehicles parked ahead of it, according to KTLA.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office ruled Uchimiya’s death an accident, attributing it to multiple blunt force injuries.

A witness told KTLA the teenage driver seemed shaken and disoriented after the crash.

“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.”

Neighbors and workers near the restaurant say the stretch of PCH where the crash occurred has long been considered dangerous, with drivers frequently speeding through the area. The Malibu City Council declared a local emergency over conditions on the highway in November 2023, weeks after a speeding driver killed four Pepperdine University students on the same road.

Uchimiya is being remembered by coworkers and loved ones as a devoted husband, father of two and a gifted chef.

“Obviously, it’s been a very, very difficult day for so many people,” the manager of Nobu Malibu told KTLA.

A fellow chef at the restaurant described Uchimiya to the New York Post as “a real nice guy, very talented chef,” adding, “It’s such a shame.” The chef said Uchimiya had been resting in his car while preparing for a catering gig that morning, noting, “We all get here really early.”

A hostess at Nobu Malibu told the Post that staff were still coming to terms with the loss. “We’re not ready to talk about it now,” she said. “We all need time.”