Makena Prevost worries about her three siblings.
She worries about what would happen if she or her parents were injured or killed in an automobile crash, and were unable to take care of them.
That frightening thought led Prevost, a 14-year-old Orono High School freshman, to push for a new state law allowing drivers to declare that they are a caregiver — and just like organ donors, have that information included in their driving records.
Under the law, which went into effect Aug. 1, first responders will be alerted if crash victims have others with special needs with them in the vehicle, or at home alone, who may need someone to look after them.
"They might not know how to talk to police or take care of themselves," said Prevost of Corcoran, Minn. "This could help a bunch of people."
As written, the law only covers those who are caring for people with autism and other intellectual disabilities, not people with illnesses such as Alzheimer's Disease or a spinal injury.
Prevost came up with the idea as part of a project to earn a Silver Award, one of the highest honors in Girl Scouts. (She's also a high-ranking seller of Girl Scout Cookies.) The award is given to scouts who advance a cause to make their community and the world a better place.
Prevost and her mother, ShawnMarie, presented the proposal to Sgt. Pete Ekenberg of the Corcoran Police Department during a Night to Unite event in 2022. He told them police have no way of knowing if a crash victim is a caregiver.