In relatively short order, a measure of justice has been meted out to the man who caused a fatal crossover collision on Interstate 40 in June. On Thursday, a Wake County judge sentenced Ricardo Contreras-de la Torre to prison for a term between two years, one month and three years, three months. An illegal immigrant, he faces deportation after serving his time, and additional penalties if found guilty of separate federal charges.

The sentence was minimal punishment for taking the life of George Alwyn Smith, 54, of Cary, but falls in the usual range for drivers who cause traffic deaths. In this case, although Contreras-de la Torre's guilty pleas were to felony assault and felony death by motor vehicle, he also drank excessively before driving. For his act of irresponsibility he should be grateful that he's getting off as lightly as he is.

Now, what about the safety of motorists at the spot where the accident occurred?

The location is just east of the Wade Avenue split. There the median between east- and westbound lanes is wide and grassy. Because of its width, the median had not been given priority for a protective barrier or cable by the state Department of Transportation. And although safety barriers along divided highways have become the norm, the median remains unprotected today.

Fortunately, there are signs of progress.

The June crash, in which Contreras-de la Torre's SUV crossed the grassy strip at high speed and crashed into two westbound cars, prompted immediate calls for a safety barrier at the spot and along the rest of an unprotected 8-mile stretch of I-40 in western and southern Raleigh. The DOT launched a safety study.

In July, the completed study recommended installing a cable barrier from milepost 289 (near Wade Avenue) to mile 297 (Lake Wheeler Road). Now, a DOT spokesman says the project is included in the agency's 2009 Transportation Improvement Plan. It will be separate from the planned 4-mile-long widening along that stretch of I-40 that is slated for 2010.

So at some point in 2009, crossover accidents like the one that killed Mr. Smith will become far less likely. The DOT crews can't string that cable too soon.