With a rash of serious accidents on metro roads already this week, including one fatality, law enforcement officers hope it's not a sign of things to come this holiday weekend.

A road construction worker who became a hit-and-run victim is just happy he's alive to talk about it. "He was going fast and I thought he was just going to rear-end the other car, but at the last minute he tried to miss it and that's when he hit the car and then went straight for me," says Jonathan Saitta.

That car hit Saitta Tuesday night on I-80, throwing him about 20 feet. "When people are out there driving on the freeway and they see people out there working, just everyone needs to slow down."

Saitta remains hospitalized at the Nebraska Medical Center. His accident was just one of several in recent days.

A semi driver allegedly ran a red light Wednesday morning, broadsiding a car and killing 17-year-old Joshua Wayland. Wednesday night, a driver lost control of his car on I-80. The speedometer in the wrecked Camaro was stuck on 120 mph. Three people were hurt. Also Wednesday night, a woman pushing her stalled car off of I-680 was hit by an alleged drunk driver.

A Douglas County Sheriff's deputy offered some driving tips Thursday during a ride-along with Channel 6 News. "We have a county vehicle involved in a PI." The call came in when a driver hit a Douglas County deputy's car. "Employee from Douglas County is injured." Proof that while on the road, no one is immune from danger.

Deputy Andy Kubik went to the hospital, but is expected to be okay. The vehicle he was driving was T-boned at 30th and Sorenson. Investigators believe the car that hit him ran a red light. Kubik has been on the job about a year.

No word yet on any citation against the other driver.

"Pay attention to the road, the traffic, the weather, give enough time because sometimes people get in a hurry or they're running late to go someplace and that's generally what happens when accidents do occur," says Douglas County Sheriff’s Department Deputy G.S. Medina.

With the high number of vehicles expected on the road this holiday and Husker weekend, expect a lot more of something else, too. “Quite a bit more of law enforcement officers on the streets working traffic to make sure people are obeying the traffic laws and staying safe."

Remember to buckle up. It takes only seconds, a short amount of time to possibly save your own life.

Students at Omaha North High School received a lesson Thursday about the importance of wearing seat belts. As part of the Come Home Safe campaign, schools will conduct unannounced checks of students at various events to see if they're wearing their seat belts.

As a former paramedic, Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy knows all too well the importance of buckling up whenever we ride in a vehicle. "On several occasions following accidents I had to give the news to parents and to classmates about the incident and they always said was there something that could have been done. Several times I had to say, if they had their seatbelt on…"

All schools that take part in the program will be entered for a $1,000 drawing. The two runner-up schools will each receive $500. Two unannounced seat belt checks will be held this fall. Schools with an 80 percent compliance rate will be recognized by the state.

Other safety tips to keep in mind include putting down the cell phone while driving and slow down. Increased speed only means an increased chance of an accident.