HARRISBURG (AP) — The week leading up to the Independence Day holiday has been deadly for motorcyclists in central Pennsylvania.

There were no less than four fatal crashes in a 24-hour period at the beginning of the three-day July Fourth weekend. Authorities say two fatalities occured in separate crashes in Dauphin County and another two in crashes in Lebanon County between Thursday night and Friday evening.

In all of last year, there were 16 deaths involving motorcyclists in the Harrisburg area.

Earlier in the week in York County, a man and a woman died after the motorcycle they were riding collided with a sport utility vehicle. The coroner's office says neither was wearing a helmet.

State police investigated 15 traffic deaths around the commonwealth during last year's three-day July Fourth weekend.