Name of child driver who killed Nobu chef still withheld, Nobu family in mourning
Ryo Uchimiya, 51, was asleep in a parked car when a 16-year-old driving a heavy SUV struck it at high speed Saturday morning, two blocks east of the restaurant.
By Hans Laetz
Nobu the restaurant closed for business Saturday as staff and management processed the death of a member of their family. Ryo Uchimiya, age 51, was killed Saturday morning on PCH, two blocks down the road from the restaurant.
A 16-year-old boy driving a heavy SUV rear-ended the parked car Uchimiya was sleeping in. Speculation among some youth was swirling in Malibu Sunday night as to the identity of the 16-year-old driver who caused the crash.
The impact was nearly square on. Video showed it to be very high speed in the parking lane.
Uchimiya's car was so smashed in, that it pushed the two cars parked beyond it violently far down the street.
Car number three was also totaled. Car number four went flying into the air, as recorded on video at an adjacent condo complex.
The smashed vehicles were taken into evidence by tow trucks, and it can be assumed that the vehicle that caused the crash had an onboard computer record with data that can be recovered by detectives.
Arriving firefighters reportedly did not know there was a human body inside the crumpled wreckage for more than 10 minutes. He had to be cut free from the wreckage, but by that time Uchimiya had already died.
The man reportedly had two sons and had worked as a chef at Nobu for more than a decade.
Once the traffic investigation is completed by sheriff's detectives, the case will be presented to L.A. County prosecutors, and they will decide what type of charges might be filed against the juvenile, if any.
The boy was not identified publicly, and it's possible this was just a horrible accident.
Sunrise was at about that time, but the video did not show any bright shadows.
PCH briefly closed Saturday morning for the coroner to recover the remains and for the tow truck drivers to operate.