Ryo Uchimiya’s car and the SUV that crashed into it.
A car crash claimed the life of Ryo Uchimiya, 51, a long-time sushi chef at Nobu Malibu, on Oct. 3 around 7 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Uchimiya, a father of two who worked at the acclaimed restaurant for 25 years, had arrived early for his shift and was taking a nap inside his parked car on the shoulder of the 22600 block of Pacific Coast Highway when a Range Rover SUV traveling eastbound swerved across the fog line and slammed into the back of Uchimiya’s sedan.
Uchimiya, who was pronounced dead at the scene, suffered from multiple blunt-force injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The 16-year-old driver, whose name was not released, remained at the scene and did not appear to be under the influence, authorities said. It was unclear what caused him to swerve. He was not arrested but the case remains under active investigation to determine possible charges.
According to the California Post,DMV records show that the Range Rover is leased to English composer Harry Gregson-WIlliams, whose film credits include “The Martian,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Gladiator II,” and the recently released “The Dog Stars,” directed by Ridley Scott.
The newspaper reported that the driver’s connection to the composer remained unclear.
Nobu employees gather outside the restaurant, which is near the crash site.