Phillip C. Via

Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles - Enforcement Division — Richmond, VA

Accident Veteran

End of Watch January 11, 1929

Age 39

The Vigil Panel 56 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 8

Incident

Inspector Phillip Via succumbed to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident while providing an escort for President Calvin Coolidge near Waynesboro, Virginia, while he and his wife were staying at Swannanoa Palace for the Thanksgiving holiday in 1928. His conditioned worsened, causing him to develop pneumonia. He passed away at his home in Stanardsville on January 11th, 1929. Inspector Via was a US Army veteran of WWI. He had served with the Greene County Sheriff's Office prior to joining the Virginia State Police. He was survived by his wife and two children. On March 14, 1942, the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles was split into the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of State Police. The Virginia State Police assumed highway patrol duties while the Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement Division assumed investigative duties.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-7DF87154
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Inspector Via served with the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.
Thank you for your service to the Richmond community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles - Enforcement Division

Location Richmond, VA

Platform Identity vdmved.richmond.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 11, 1929

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Phillip C. Via served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Inspector Phillip C. Via 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.

At Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles - Enforcement Division, 6 of 9 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles - Enforcement Division

of 9 officers

66.7% Accident

VA — Statewide

203

of 654 officers

31% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident