Deadly DUI crash sparks expert to question safety of I-15 guardrail

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- An expert says he believes an improperly installed guardrail may have played a role in a Las Vegas woman's death last year in drunk driving crash.  Gloria Vega Nava, 41, was a passenger in a vehicle that collided with a guardrail last year on July 5 near the Valley of Fire exit on Interstate 15. A Clark County Grand Jury indicted the driver of that vehicle Jose Guadlupe Mora, 34, with driving under the influence resulting in death and failure to maintain a travel lane, according to court records. Photos 8 News Now obtained of the fatal wreck prompted Stephen Eimers to reach out to 8 News Now.  "There's more to this crash. We have some installation errors. Installation errors that the Federal Highway Administration says are critical," Eimers, who is also known as the Guardrail Guy, said. "We can often get into a situation where we have a drunk driver. Somebody who has clearly done something wrong. That doesn't mean that we can't have another contributing factor here." Eimers' 17-year-old daughter Hannah died along a Tennessee road in 2016 in a controversial guardrail crash. He said the guardrail didn't serve its function of absorbing her vehicle's impact. Since her Hannah's death, Eimers has met with both state and federal lawmakers and administrators to discuss the issue of faulty guardrails. Records 8 News Now obtained show Mora's blood alcohol level was nearly double the legal limit at 0.13 a few hours after the crash. Nevada’s blood alcohol legal limit is 0.08. The other contributing factor that may have led to Vega Nava's death was an incorrectly installed guardrail, according to Eimers. He searched Google Street View for a better look at the crash site and noticed issues. "Documents from the Federal Highway Administration, they tell us that that is a critical installation error that could affect the release of the system," Eimers said. The release of the system is to blunt the car's impact, and Eimers said guardrails by design are supposed to absorb a vehicle's energy from a crash. "Guardrails should steer you, not spear you. What happened here is that we have a number of installation errors that were exacerbated by an individual who made very bad choices, by choosing to drink and drive," Eimers said.  In an email to 8 News Now, the Nevada Department of Transportation responded to Eimers concerns with the following:  NDOT takes roadway safety seriously and routinely evaluates roadway infrastructure and safety hardware on state highways. The department utilizes established standards and practices for the installation and maintenance of guardrail systems on state highways, and staff routinely repair or replace damaged infrastructure as needed. NDOT infrastructure is designed and maintained in accordance with applicable federal highway safety standards and guidelines.