BUFFALO TWP — A suspected drunken driver left a trail of damage in an early morning crash today in the 300 block of Bear Creek Road, authorities said.

Michael R. John, 23, of Sarver, in his would-be getaway, left a second trail — gouge marks from the wheel rims on his damaged pickup truck — that Buffalo Township police followed to his nearby home.

He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following the wreck shortly after midnight.

Investigators said John was traveling north on Bear Creek Road about 12:10 a.m. when he lost control of his Chevrolet Silverado. The pickup struck sheared off a utility pole, sending power lines onto the road.

The truck, however, did not stop. It continued into a garbage can and a set of mailboxes before mowing down a real estate agent’s sign and slamming into a set of concrete steps at 315 Bear Creek Road.

Police said the truck was severely damaged but John tried to drive it home anyway.

Officer Daniel Ambrose tracked gouge marks in the pavement for about a mile and a half. The trail led to the suspect’s house.

John smelled of alcohol and he admitted to drinking before the crash, Ambrose said. He was eventually arrested and taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Allegheny County, for a blood test.

DUI charges are pending lab results, police said. Ambrose noted that the suspect also was driving with a suspended license.