During the four years since the passage of Sara’s Law, more than 5,700 people have signed up for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) registry for next-of-kin emergency notification.
Sara’s Law, named for Sara Dubinin, a 19-year-old Sayreville resident who was killed in a 2007 car accident, created the next-of-kin registry to prompt emergency responders to contact the family members of an injured person who is incapacitated.
Betty Dubinin, Sara’s mother, only found out her daughter was involved in the fatal accident when a friend of Sara’s called two hours after the accident to inquire how Sara was doing.
“I had no idea what she was talking about, and she was the one who told me Sara was in critical condition at [a hospital],” Dubinin said. “When we got there, Sara was in a surgical intensive care unit, and she was in a coma from which she did not awaken.
“I was upset. I felt I should have been there for her. She was my only child, and I just wanted to hold her hand and let her know she wasn’t alone.”
Dubinin eventually reached out to Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) to tell her story, which ultimately resulted in the creation of Sara’s Law.
Gov. Chris Christie signed the bill into law on April 6, 2011.
Dubinin has since been a constant advocate for residents to register with the nextof kin database to keep other families from experiencing the same nightmare she has endured.
Still, she said the pace of registration discourages her.
“I don’t want anyone else to have that feeling in addition to the horrible grief. You also have that feeling like guilt for not being there,” Dubinin said. “It doesn’t help Sara, it doesn’t help us — but it does carry my daughter’s name, and I don’t want her to ever be forgotten.”
Dubinin encourages residents to sign up for the registry instead of putting it off. She said it is easy to do and could be the difference between saying goodbye to a loved one and arriving too late.
“You just don’t know, and you lose precious moments,” Dubinin said. “I want people to read about it, share it and pass it on.”
She said her goal is to work with groups in other states to make the registry a national effort. A handful of other states also have a registry like New Jersey’s.
“[Sara] is still helping people, you know. That is how I try to think of it,” Dubinin said. “Hopefully, nobody every needs this really, but it’s another tool.”
To register, visit www.nj.gov/mvc.
— Adam C. Uzialko