Westlake Football Player Arrested After Wrongful Death in Thousand Oaks, California

A former Westlake High School football player was arrested on suspicion of DUI, which lead to the death of a fellow Thousand Oaks resident, following a severe car accident last Friday night in Thousand Oaks, California.

Michael Seidman, 39, graduated from Westlake High School in 1999. He was widely regarded as one of the nations best tight ends. On October 16th, 2020, Mr. Seidman was involved in a head-on collision around 9:35 p.m. on Erbes Road and Hauser Circle.

According to witnesses, Seidman’s truck veered into the lane of an older man driving a four-door sedan. The driver of the sedan was not immediately identified, but was taken to Los Robles Hospital in critical care. The victim eventually succumbed to his injuries, dying within hours.

According to jail records, Seidman was being held on $100,000 bail.

Seidman, who grew up in Westlake Village, was drafted by the Carolina Panthers after a successful stint at UCLA. He played four seasons in Carolina, making it to a Super Bowl. He played for the Indianapolis Colts briefly before retiring

Mr. Seidman has enjoyed a successful career in real estate since retiring from football. He currently works for Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate firm.

This accident marks the second wrongful death car accident in Thousand Oaks this month. The other, Rebecca Grossman, killed two young boys after she drove recklessly near a residential neighborhood in Westlake Village. She too who was arrested for potential DUI.

We will continue to provide updates of these stories as they progress in the courtroom. Mr. Seidman was due to appear before a judge at 1:30 p.m. Tues., Oct. 20.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family.

Thousand Oaks is widely regarded as one of the safest cities in California. That ranking may not last very long if these accidents resulting in deaths continue to occur. If you see anyone driving suspiciously in Thousand Oaks, please report call the local authorities. We need to come together as a city to prevent these wrongful deaths from occurring.