Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway will not face any charges in what authorities have determined was an accidental death of his former agent, who fell from a golf cart Elway was driving.
Riverside County (California) Sheriff Chad Bianco told a Denver television station that its investigation into the April incident that resulted in the death of Elway’s longtime friend and business partner Jeff Sperbeck has concluded.
‘It’s over,’ Bianco told 9News on July 11. ‘We’ve talked to everyone involved and we found nothing new. There was nothing criminal. It was what we’ve been saying all along that this was a tragic accident.’
Bianco has said that Sperbeck, 62, was standing on the back of a golf cart at a course in La Quinta, California, on April 26 when he fell and hit his head. The Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau ruled that his death was caused by ‘blunt force trauma’ and that the manner of his death was ‘an accident.’
Sperbeck represented more than 100 NFL players during his career as an agent and business adviser, according to ESPN. He began managing Elway’s business affairs in 1990, overseeing Elway’s restaurants, car dealerships and winery, among other off-field interests.
Elways played 16 seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, winning a pair of Super Bowl titles. He later served as an executive for the team, including a tenure as general manager and executive vice president.