JOHN ELWAY'S GOLF CART INCIDENT...LEAVES LONG TIME FRIEND AND PARTNER DEAD

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Jeff Sperbeck, a close friend and business associate of John Elway, died Wednesday morning -- a little more than three days after he fell off a golf car driven by the retired Denver Broncos quarterback.

The incident occurred Saturday at a gated golf community in Southern California where Elway owns a home.

That Elway was driving after he and Sperbeck had attended the Stagecoach music festival was first reported by TMZ. A source familiar with the details of the incident independently confirmed to 9NEWS that Elway was driving.

Sperbeck died early Wednesday morning, according to the coroner's report at the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

A source close to Elway told 9NEWS he is devastated by the tragedy involving his close friend.

Elway shared the following statement with 9NEWS:

“I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck. 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. My heart and deepest sympathies go out to Jeff’s wife, Cori; his children Carly, Sam and Jackson; and everyone who knew and loved him. Jeff will be deeply missed for the loyalty, wisdom, friendship and love he brought into my life and the lives of so many others.”

Sperbeck's family provided this statement to NBC Sports:

“We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our beloved Jeff Sperbeck,” the statement read. "He was a wonderful father, husband, brother, son and friend to many and will be profoundly missed by all. We are grieving this unimaginable loss as a family alongside our dearest friends, the Elway’s, and the many other clients Jeff called friends. We are grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support that we have received and ask for privacy for our family at this difficult time.”

The accident occurred at the Madison Club in La Quinta, a private golf resort community. According to TMZ, Sperbeck was seated on the back of the golf cart when he fell off and struck his head on the pavement.

It was Elway who called 9-1-1, according to the TMZ report. The local fire department and ambulance paramedics serviced the call. The local sheriff’s department did not respond to the call, although it is now.

"The Riverside Sheriff’s Office was informed of the incident on Monday, April 28th, and opened an investigation,'' public information officer Lt. Deirdre Vickers stated in an e-mail to 9NEWS. "At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and no details are available."

Sperbeck was found breathing but unconscious and transported to a hospital in Palm Springs, where he died.

Sperbeck had been an NFL agent to more than 100 players, coaches and executives. He was the type of agent and marketing rep who stayed in touched with his clients long after the NFL careers ended.

When one of Sperbeck's clients, former Broncos and Peyton Manning quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp, was killed four years ago while riding his bicycle by a driver distracted by his cellphone, Sperbeck stepped up with great compassion.

He helped Knapp's wife Charlotte not only with service arrangements, but in helping to found the Coach Knapp Memorial Fund that promotes distracted driver awareness and reform. The cause includes an annual stadium stair climb by NFL coaches as running the stadium stairs was part of Knapp's pregame routines.

Before this accident, had you Googled Sperbeck's name, a photo of Elway would have come up.

It was primarily because of their varied businesses partnerships, from 7 Cellars wine to the Elway restaurants, that this is so. Sperbeck has been Elway’s marketing representative since the latter’s prime as the Broncos’ superstar quarterback in the early 1990s, a relationship that grew into a close friendship.

When Elway was the Broncos’ general manager from 2011-2020, and the team was playing a road game out West, Sperbeck, who lives in Southern California, would almost always accompany him, standing near his side.