Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said it appears “nothing nefarious” happened during the golf cart incident that led to the death of John Elway’s close friend and business partner Jeff Sperbeck last weekend.
The sheriff said his department’s investigation is nearly complete and could be finished as early as this weekend.
“We have not learned anything that would indicate that this is anything other than a tragic accident,” Bianco said in a phone interview Friday night.
Sperbeck fell from a moving golf cart in the Madison Club community of La Quinta on April 26 about 6:50 p.m. and hit his head. The 62-year-old San Clemente resident was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m. April 30 at Desert Regional Medical Center, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sperbeck was standing in the back portion of the cart when he fell off, Bianco said. The cart was designed for either two or four people, according to the sheriff, but there were five people—Sperbeck, Elway, their wives and a person whose identity Bianco didn’t know—riding on it at the time of the incident.
The sheriff declined to confirm reports that Elway was driving the cart. He added that the driver does not appear to be at fault and there is no indication alcohol was a factor.
“There doesn’t appear to be any cause other than, for whatever reason, he fell off,” Bianco said.
Elway said in a statement April 30 that he is “absolutely devastated and heartbroken” by Sperbeck’s death.
“There are no words to truly express the profound sadness I feel with the sudden loss of someone who has meant so much to me,” Elway stated. “Jeff will be deeply missed for the loyalty, wisdom, friendship and love he brought into my life and the lives of so many others.”
In 30 years as an agent and business advisor, Sperbeck represented more than 100 NFL players, including Elway starting in 1990. The two men later founded 7Cellars winery together and Sperbeck served as the chief executive.
A football star at Granada Hills High and Stanford, Elway played 16 seasons for the Denver Broncos. He was the league MVP in 1987 and led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl championships (1997, 1998) and three other Super Bowl appearances.
Later, as the team’s general manager and executive vice president of football operations, Elway helped the Broncos make two more Super Bowl appearances, including a victory following the 2015 season.
He was a consultant to the Broncos when his contract expired in 2023.
