Jason Albert Weiss

As told by his mom, Abbie Weiss

Jason had gone to Missoula with his best friend, BRAD McCAINEY, to get a carpet remnant for their trailer. On their way home, Brad's car broke down by Pablo. It was the middle of the night and they started walking north.

Brad's sister was a waitress at a local Chinese restaurant. She and her friend had an open bottle of wine during their shift and kept taking drinks. After work, they went to the bar and ordered drinks to go. They left the restaurant and headed south. When Brad's sister recognized Brad walking along the highway, they turned the car around and picked them up. The boys got in the car and the driver made it approximately 200 yards down the road. The car was traveling 65 mph when the driver hit a rail on the side of the road. The rail went through the middle of the car, from the radiator to the back window. Jason and Brad were in the middle seats; front and back. Both Jason and Brad were killed. It took the Jaws of Life to get the boys out. They took the top off the car. The accident happened on the east side of Polson Hill as you come down the hill to the Miracle of American Museum.

I was driving to work when I saw Brad's car near Jason's apartment. It was only after I got to work that I found out what happened.

My son was a troubled kid. He didn't graduate from high school. He didn't have a lot of self confidence. He felt he wasn't as good as everybody else. But he could fix things faster than anybody. He was smart at math and mechanically minded. He was the youngest of four; my baby. He painted whatever was in his head. He'd see something and he'd paint it. I thought he was pretty good but, of course, I'm his mother.

There are no crosses there now. The highway was widened to four lanes and they won't put them back up even though I've asked. They say where the accident happened is part of the highway now. They should have left the crosses on the highway; they're a reminder to people to slow down.

October 27, 1966 - 

October 4, 1986