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Report: John Elway driving golf cart in incident that left friend on life support

ProfilePhotoby: Nick Geddes04/30/25NickGeddesNews
John Elway
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway was behind the wheel of the golf cart in the accident that left his longtime friend, Jeff Sperbeck, on life support, per TMZ. Sperbeck, who became Elway’s manager in 1990, fell from the golf cart and suffered life-threatening injuries.

The incident occurred this past Saturday in La Quinta, Calif. Sperbeck fell off the back of the moving vehicle and hit his head on asphalt. Elway, Sperbeck and their wives had been at the Stagecoach music festival earlier in the day, per the report from TMZ. They were leaving a post-festival party when the accident happened.

Elway called 911 and Sperbeck was unconscious but still breathing when paramedics arrived. Sperbeck, 61, was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

“Now, multiple sources tell us John was actually driving the golf cart, however, we have not been able to confirm that with Elway,” TMZ‘s report read. “There’s no indication he did anything wrong.”

John Elway golf cart incident under investigation

No one else was injured in the incident. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

“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.”

Elway and Sperbeck remain business partners. They started 7Cellars wine together in 2013 and work together with Elway restaurants. Sperbeck has been an NFL agent to more than 100 players, coaches and executives.

Elway, 64, won two Super Bowls during his 16-year career with the Denver Broncos. He served as the team’s general manager from 2011-2020. He became director of football operations in 2021 before transitioning to a consultant role until his contract expired in March 2023.