Law enforcement in New Jersey can quickly track down family members of non-responsive car crash victims with the launching of an emergency next-of-kin registry by the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

Lodi office of Motor Vehicle Commission
Lodi office of Motor Vehicle Commission (Foursquare)
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"Sadly and all too often, those involved in a car crash cannot communicate with emergency responders so there is a lag time between helping and transporting the victims to hospitals and finding and calling relatives," said MVC Chairman and Chief Administrator Ray Martinez. "In some cases, even those few minutes could mean the difference between a family member being able to say goodbye to a loved one and a family member arriving at the hospital too late."

The registry comes following legislation known as "Sara's Law" in memory of Sara Dubinin of Sayreville. Dubinin became unresponsive following a car crash in 2007 and lapsed into a coma before her parents were notified. She eventually passed away.

The registry is an online resource that gives individuals with a driver's license or a non-driver identification card the opportunity to enter up to two emergency contacts and their phone numbers through a database that is only available to law enforcement. If an individual involved in a crash is unable to communicate, police will be able to access the registry and notify designated emergency contacts quickly.

"The MVC also has lowered the age at which someone can obtain a non-driver identification card from 17 to 14, so they too can utilize the registry for emergency contact information," said Mike Horan, MVC spokesman.

"I cannot stress enough the importance of registering your emergency contacts with the MVC," said Elizabeth Dubinin, Sara's mother. "I lost my only, beautiful 19-year-old daughter to a horrific crash and was never notified before she succumbed to her injuries. This registry will go a long way in preventing others from having to find out the way I did."

The information entered into the registry is not public and will only be used by law enforcement. For more information, visit them online.

 

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