abducted

The rag in the tail pipe makes zero sense to me. I once had a 1980 Sunbird (about the same horsepower as Maura's Saturn). I had a new muffler put on and somehow there was an obstruction to the air flow. I remember it not having much power when I picked it up. When I tried to go up a hill it barely made it to the top. Mind you, the exhaust was still coming out but it was limited. If I recall correctly the guy who towed Maura's car said the the rag was jammed up inside the tail pipe pretty good. Now, a rag is not like say a potato, a potato is solid but a rag is porous so it will allow some flow of exhaust but IMO based on experience it would not drive as well. Even if Maura's car was working on all 4 cylinders then there is no way this car would have gotten far but 3 would have been even worse!! I recall Fred stating that he advised Maura to stick the rag in the tail pipe so as to reduce the amount of smoke coming out. Again, no way she would have driven that far with a rag stuffed that tight in her tail pipe. So she either put it there after she wrecked (red towel would have been better to be placed hanging from the window to alert people that the car was not drivable) or someone placed it there and if so it was done not very long before she wrecked. Based on the amount of gas she had in her tank when she wrecked she definitely stopped to get gas not long before she wrecked. Also, keep in mind that there is no proof she filled the tank up. She may have only put in $20 and it went to almost full meaning she could have filled up anytime from the nearest gas station from where she wrecked to as far back as how far she could have gotten based on her filling it up all the way and driving to the crash site. This could tell you when it was possible for someone to slip a rag in her tail pipe. Also, keep in mind someone could have suggested to her to put a rag in the tail pipe when she stopped for gas knowing she would not get far. This could explain why the rag was from her trunk. It would not be hard to calculate given the MPG on the Saturn as far as what gas stations she would have stopped at. If her car was running on 3 cylinders it's more likely she got gas very close to the crash site. It makes sense that Maura tried to start her car after the wreck. If the car would not start at all I wonder if the rag blew out a gasket or something else. Unless once the airbag is deployed there is a mechanism the won't allow the car to start again. I am not that familiar with a Saturn to answer that. If not then I would assume the car should at least turn over. If she was driving in tandem and a car was behind her then she would have most likely grabbed all her stuff to transfer over to the other car. If the other car was in front and didn't notice for a while then she grabbed what she thought she immediately needed and hauled ass down the road to get out of there and meet up with the other driver in hopes "he" would eventually notice Maura was not behind him and turn around. Going back was not an option IF there was only one person in the other car since if the police were there when they got back Maura would have to explain she was driving and she was drinking. If there was more than one person in the other car and at least one wasn't drinking they could have said they were driving but who wants to get cited for a wreck when they weren't the driver just to pick up some personal items? Maura's keys, cell phone and the alcohol were missing correct? If so then she IMO was alone when she abandon her car. She most likely got to about Butch's house and was picked up and IMO by someone she knew.