Roll of Honor
Incident
Location: Georgia Incident Date: Thursday, May 27, 1954
Chief of Police Ralph Wolfe succumbed to injuries sustained in an automobile accident six days earlier in Jesup, Georgia while transporting a prisoner.
Chief Wolfe and a Smyth County deputy were returning the prisoner from Miami, Florida, to Smyth County, Virginia, when the crash curred on US Route 301. Their vehicle went out of control on the rain-slicked pavement and crashed.
All three men were transported to Leaphart Hospital, where Chief Wolfe remained until his death.
Chief Wolfe had served with the Marion Police Department for 17 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-48D4B4E7- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Wolfe gave the Marion Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Marion community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Wolfe.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Ralph S. Wolfe is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In VA, 203 of 654 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31% of this state's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ralph S. Wolfe's cause is highlighted.
How Ralph S. Wolfe Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ralph S. Wolfe is highlighted in Jun.