Investigation into fatal golf cart incident involving John Elway's former agent to remain open

The incident occurred April 26 when Jeff Sperbeck reportedly fell from a golf cart driven by John Elway in La Quinta, California

California authorities have decided to keep an open investigation into the fatal golf-cart incident that resulted in the death of Jeff Sperbeck — the longtime friend, business partner and former agent of Denver Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. The incident occurred April 26 when Sperbeck reportedly fell from a golf cart driven by Elway in La Quinta, California. Sperbeck, 62, was hospitalized and later died May 1 at a Palm Springs hospital, according to the Riverside County coroner.

The coroner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma and ruled the manner of death an accident, citing that Sperbeck fell while riding as a passenger. According to KUSA in Denver, Elway was part of a group trailing several other carts in a caravan and there were no signs of erratic driving or sudden swerves when the fall occurred. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told KUSA that Elway showed no signs of impairment and was not under the influence at the time of the incident.

"We're still considering it an accident," Bianco told KUSA this week. "However, we're not going to officially close out the case until we have reviewed all of the video that could possibly be out there. We know there's a possibility of 18 more residents with video that we haven't heard from yet. So, until we make contact with them, we're not going to officially close it out, but based on other ones we've seen we don't anticipate finding anything new."

Bianco said he was advised by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office to keep the investigation open until every potential witness in the neighborhood had been contacted. Bianco acknowledged to KUSA the department initially considered closing the case to avoid ongoing inquiries, but ultimately agreed with prosecutors that the case should remain open in case new information surfaces.

Sperbeck began working with Elway in 1990, midway through the quarterback's 16-year NFL career. Over the next three decades, he built a reputation as a trusted agent and advisor, representing more than 100 NFL players.

Elway captured the NFL MVP award in 1987 and capped his playing career with back-to-back Super Bowl wins in the late 1990s. He later added another title as the Broncos' general manager in 2015. Off the field, Sperbeck played a key role in managing Elway's business ventures, including car dealerships, a winery and restaurant investments.