Chef Nobu killed by teenager who crashed into his parked car in Malibu | California

A longtime chef at the popular Japanese restaurant chain Nobu was killed over the weekend in Malibu, California, when a teenage driver crashed into his parked vehicle, where he was sleeping while waiting for his shift to start.

The 51-year-old chef, named Ryo Uchimiya by the Los Angeles medical examiner’s office, had arrived for work at Nobu Malibu early Saturday when his vehicle was struck by a 16-year-old boy driving a Range Rover at 6:50 a.m.

John Addington, a sergeant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, told the LA Times that it appeared the boy had been speeding. Citing authorities, NBC Los Angeles reported that there were no signs of intoxication in the driver, who remained at the scene of the crash and cooperated with police.

No charges were immediately filed, but an investigation is underway, officials said.

According to the LA Times, the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that runs through Malibu is one of the deadliest roads in California. There have been an average of four accident-related deaths per year over the past decade.

In 2023, a 24-year-old Malibu man driving a BMW going more than 100 mph in a 45 mph zone struck three parked cars, killing four Pepperdine University sorority sisters. The driver was later charged with murder.

The highway, known as PCH, is dotted with construction zones after the 2025 wildfires in the area.

The California Post reported that the teen driving the Range Rover in Uchimiya’s case Saturday crossed the fog line that separates the travel lane from the shoulder — and hit the chief’s car.

Uchimiya was a beloved sushi chef who worked for Nobu for 25 years, according to KTLA. He would have been building the restaurant’s operations and preparing for Saturday’s service.

KTLA quoted Nobu Malibu’s manager as saying the “staff family” was doing what they could to provide for Uchimiya’s family.

“Obviously it’s been a very, very difficult day for a lot of people,” the manager said, according to the outlet.