Some charges dropped in helicopter crash

ASOTIN — Charges filed against one of the couples involved in a late-summer helicopter crash in the Snake River have been dismissed.

According to court documents, Lewis G. Weiss and Josephine F. Weiss, of Duvall, Wash., are no longer facing criminal penalties related to an Aug. 31 incident about 12 miles upstream from Clarkston, when a helicopter plunged into the water shortly after takeoff.

Following the crash, pilot Alexander J. Jobe, 45, and passenger Lewis Weiss, 43, left the area prior to the arrival of Asotin County deputies. They were charged with obstructing a law enforcement officer by Deputy Prosecutor Nickolas Ward.

“The state has not articulated, and the Court does not find in the record, any information to support a conclusion that Mr. Weiss was lawfully required to remain at the scene of the helicopter crash or to perform any other act,” according to the conclusions filed in the case.

Lewis Weiss was represented by Clarkston attorney Neil Cox. Last month, District Court Judge Tina Kernan granted his motion to dismiss the gross misdemeanor charge.

Following an investigation by the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office, Mary G. Jobe, 42, and Josephine F. Weiss, 43, were both charged with making a false or misleading statement to a public servant and obstructing a law enforcement officer.

The women told police their husbands launched the aircraft to help someone in distress on the Idaho side of the river and immediately left the scene after emerging from the river to continue rescue efforts in Nez Perce County.

In court documents, Undersheriff Jody Brown said their version of the events differed from an eyewitness account at the scene. The witness told police she heard the group yelling, “Don’t call the cops” as the pilot and passenger returned to shore in a small boat operated by Mary Jobe.

However, the facts of the case failed to establish that Josephine Weiss knowingly made any false statements or obstructed a law enforcment officer on the night of the crash, according to court documents.

After reviewing the police reports and witness transcripts, Court Commissioner Brooke Burns dismissed the charges Thursday. Josephine Weiss was represented by Lewiston attorney Scott Chapman.

The Jobes, who reside in Sammamish, Wash., are scheduled to appear in Asotin County District Court on Jan. 22 with similar motions to drop all charges. They are represented by attorneys in Seattle and Spokane.

Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.