Man who died in 100-foot SUV fall identified

A man who died after he drove his SUV through a fence and fell 100 feet onto railroad tracks was identified Saturday as 29-year-old Steven Ferris of Tacoma.

Known as Taylor, Ferris was a former assistant golf professional at Allenmore Golf Course and Fircrest Golf Club.

He drove to the entrance of the closed Tacoma Avenue Bridge on Friday, and before he actually reached the span, left the roadway through a guardrail, police said.

The bridge is closed for construction.

Police are investigating what caused the crash.

Deanie Ferris, his mom, said he would have turned 30 Saturday and had planned to play Chambers Bay golf course to celebrate.

He’d been golfing since he was 3, she said, and Allenmore was his “home away from home.”

He’d struggled with epilepsy for several years and had taken a break from the golf business during that time, she said. But he kept playing.

“We were still trying to get that controlled,” she said. “He was still working on his game, no matter what.”

It’s not clear if his health issues were involved in the wreck.

Don Mojean said he was the head golf professional at Allenmore for most of the time Ferris was an assistant.

“He was like a son to me,” he said. “He was an exceptional golfer.”

Ferris golfed for a season at Boise State after graduating from Life Christian Academy, where he was part of starting the high school’s golf team. He helped the team win a state championship in 2003.

This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Man who died in 100-foot SUV fall identified."