LOS ANGELES, CA – Ryo Uchimiya, a 51-year-old chef who worked at Nobu Malibu for more than two decades, was killed Saturday morning after a 16-year-old driver allegedly crashed a Range Rover into the parked vehicle where Uchimiya was inside along Pacific Coast Highway.
The collision happened at about 7 a.m. October 3 in the 22600 block of Pacific Coast Highway, near Nobu Malibu, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lost Hills/Malibu Station.
Uchimiya was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the preliminary investigation, the juvenile was driving a gray Range Rover eastbound on PCH when the SUV left the travel lane and struck a vehicle parked on the eastbound shoulder. The impact pushed Uchimiya’s vehicle into other parked vehicles.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the cause of the collision remains under investigation and that there were no preliminary indications that the teenage driver was operating under the influence.
Longtime Nobu chef was inside parked vehicle
Uchimiya had worked as a sushi chef at Nobu Malibu for more than 20 years, according to information provided about the crash.
The restaurant is located along Pacific Coast Highway, close to where the collision occurred. Uchimiya was in his parked vehicle when the Range Rover struck it.
The force of the initial impact resulted in a chain reaction involving additional parked vehicles. Investigators are continuing to reconstruct the collision and determine precisely what caused the SUV to leave its lane.
The teenage driver survived the crash. Authorities have not publicly identified him because he is a juvenile.
Information provided about the investigation indicates that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed before the collision. Reports have placed the speed at at least 50 mph, although investigators have not publicly announced a final determination of the vehicle’s speed.
Cause of crash remains unclear
The central question in the investigation remains why the Range Rover crossed the roadway’s fog line and entered the shoulder where Uchimiya’s vehicle was parked.
Authorities have not announced whether the driver became distracted, lost control, experienced a medical emergency or encountered another problem before the collision. No specific cause has been established publicly.
Investigators will likely rely on the physical evidence from the vehicles, surveillance footage and witness information as they work to determine the sequence of events.
The crash also resulted in a temporary closure of portions of PCH while deputies and other emergency personnel worked at the scene.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information that could assist investigators is asked to contact the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station at 818-878-1808.
Fatal crash renews attention on PCH safety
The fatal collision occurred as Malibu continues to implement a series of measures intended to reduce dangerous driving on Pacific Coast Highway.
The City of Malibu says more than 60 people have died in traffic collisions along the city’s 21-mile stretch of PCH since 2010. In 2023 alone, the city recorded 220 reported crashes that resulted in 93 injuries and seven deaths.
The city has said speeding is a primary factor in a majority of PCH collisions resulting in injury or death, based on information from the Sheriff’s Department.
Malibu has responded with increased traffic enforcement, roadway improvements and an automated speed enforcement program. The city has also worked with the California Highway Patrol and other agencies on traffic safety along the highway.
The city’s speed safety system is designed to detect vehicles traveling at least 11 mph above the posted speed limit. However, the program’s warning phase was recently delayed until November 2026 to allow for installation adjustments and an ongoing traffic study in Eastern Malibu, according to the City of Malibu.
During preliminary testing from September 16 through September 24, the city said its cameras recorded approximately 100,000 speeding violations across four locations, with about 86% occurring in Eastern Malibu. Those cameras were not issuing warnings or citations during the testing period.
Investigation continues
The death of Uchimiya is the latest fatal collision on a stretch of PCH that local officials have repeatedly identified as a major traffic-safety concern.
The circumstances of Saturday’s crash remain under investigation. Authorities have not announced criminal charges against the juvenile driver, and the Sheriff’s Department has not publicly determined what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.
Investigators are asking witnesses and anyone with relevant information or footage to contact the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.
Uchimiya’s death also leaves the Malibu restaurant community mourning a longtime member of its staff, while investigators continue working to establish the circumstances that led the Range Rover onto the shoulder and into the parked vehicle.
