Mom pushing to link between emergency contact info & licenses

BOSTON — A local woman who lost her son in a car crash is working to pass a bill that would connect emergency contact information with driver licenses.

Twenty-year-old Joshua Cloutier left home on a rainy spring night in 2003 and never came home after a car he was riding in lost control on the road.

"They went down a road in Sterling which is called ‘roller coaster road,’” said Sharon Cloutier.

The car went airbound, flipped, and landed on the tree. Cloutier said that she and her husband didn’t know what had happened until 1:30 a.m., more than three hours after the crash. The parent of another crash victim called them to ask why they weren’t at the hospital.

“By the time we got there, he was in a hospital room by himself on life support. We weren't called,” she said.

About a week later, Joshua was brain dead.

For more than a decade, Sharon has been working to prevent heartache like hers and improve the notification system.

House Bill 3053 will allow you to put an emergency contact on an electronic file connected to your license. First responders can then access the information with a scan of the barcode on the back.

It's gotten overwhelming support, but has died in the legislative process twice waiting for a vote before the session's end.

“My heart just breaks because I don't feel like I’m getting anywhere,” Cloutier said.

She continues to hold onto hope that with another big push of public support, the third filing will be the charm. It’s due to be refiled in the spring.

Cox Media Group