This sounds to me like Nathan got into an accident while driving home drunk (or buzzed) from the bar. When trying to get his car out of the ditch actually made things worse by damaging the wheels, he fled and hid so that, if anyone reported the accident, he'd be sober by the time police got to him, and thereby couldn't be charged with drunk driving.
The area seems pretty populated, but nearby there are several lakes surrounded by dense trees he could've sought refuge in. Overnight temperature was in the high 40s, but if he wasn't properly dressed, he could've succumbed to hypothermia. We also don't know if he sustained any injuries, like a concussion, from the accident. For whatever reason, he just hasn't been found.
The suicide theory doesn't seem likely to me because it feels like such a roundabout way to do so, especially if police have reason to believe he tried to salvage his vehicle. Then again, if he was struggling with depression, could the accident (and any potential legal and monetary repercussions) have been a kind of "final straw?"
Another possibility that comes to mind is: after realizing he couldn't get his vehicle out of the ditch, what if he flagged down a passing motorist or knocked on someone's door, and that person harmed him?
The area seems pretty populated, but nearby there are several lakes surrounded by dense trees he could've sought refuge in. Overnight temperature was in the high 40s, but if he wasn't properly dressed, he could've succumbed to hypothermia. We also don't know if he sustained any injuries, like a concussion, from the accident. For whatever reason, he just hasn't been found.
The suicide theory doesn't seem likely to me because it feels like such a roundabout way to do so, especially if police have reason to believe he tried to salvage his vehicle. Then again, if he was struggling with depression, could the accident (and any potential legal and monetary repercussions) have been a kind of "final straw?"
Another possibility that comes to mind is: after realizing he couldn't get his vehicle out of the ditch, what if he flagged down a passing motorist or knocked on someone's door, and that person harmed him?
