From the pictures it certainly appears that the left rear tire let go. I've seen tires that have been run flat until there was literally nothing left on the rim but the bead!!! The pictures clearly show that not even the bead remains on the rim. The tire definitely blew up. The question is why? Let the conjecture begin!!!

I feel sorry for the poor woman, for a couple of reasons. Shopping with the kids, the diesel fuel fiasco, terrible driving conditions, and getting the car stuck in a snowbank all within an hour, sounds like a very stressful situation. While the story seems plausible, there are a few things that don't make sense.

First, the R-Class air suspension works regardless of what gear the transmission is in. The assertion that the air suspension didn't work, does not prove that the vehicle was in "PARK". I suppose that under the adverse conditions, she simply pushed the wrong button?

Next, I've never been to Colorado, but I do know it snows like hell there. How did Nathan get home from Florida in such severe weather conditions on Sunday, but couldn't leave the house to check out the car until Monday?

After the fact: The fact that one of the seat belt retractors deployed as well as the curtain bag doesn't mean a thing. Predicting which safety devices will deploy in any given event is way beyond the ability of an appraiser. He's certainly entitled to his opinion, but he's by no means an expert.