Before I scrolled down far enough to see the link that is exactly what I thought of from reading your first line of text
I think that the OP ran his clues through the Click and Clack Obfuscator for us.
I used to be a mechanic and an engine builder and a thrown rod (connecting rod detaches from the piston or the crankshaft)is one horrible noise…usually a death knell, but once in a great while it heals itself by disconnecting in such a manner that the noise mostly stops. Coolant/oil leaks are common with a thrown rod and the engine may crank/run again, but never well.
It helps if you’re on a mission from God.
Me, me ,me.
In our Honda, at 100k the timing belt and water pump got replaced as scheduled maintenance.
The 2013 RAV4 is pretty well known for having defective turbo encabulators. When the two spurving bearings fall out of line with the panametric fan, all hell breaks loose in the engine and the symptoms you describe are a pretty common result. I know that this theory will have its detractors, but they’re simply ignoring the unilateral phase aspect.
“Timing chain” wasn’t wrong enough, huh?
Yeah, I don’t know what a turbo encabulato reallyr is, and neither do you. 
My response to your spoiler, spoilered:
I’ve had a serpentine belt break, creating a clattering sound and then a bunch of engine warning lights coming on. But the engine didn’t quit and I wasn’t stranded at the side of the road. The car was able to limp to a mechanic shop. Which is why I was guessing timing chain. But all cars are different and who knows about the new-fangled ones! 
What were they thinking? Having General Electric make this critical part? I don’t understand how they let this happen.
As I was driving home from work yesterday (2006 BMW Z4), the battery light came on. I thought, “Crap, the alternator died!” I was 7 miles from home.
I continued to drive. I turned off all accessories that used electrical power (AC, radio, etc.). I monitored the gauges and idiot lights. I was expecting it to die at anytime. But it kept going, amazingly.
I managed to make it home with no hiccups. Popped the hood, and discovered the serpentine belt was gone! Amazingly I was able to drive 7 miles without it. Then I got to thinking: the car has electric-assist steering and an electric coolant pump. So I believe the only purpose for the belt is to drive the AC compressor and alternator. When the belt broke, I was simply operating off the battery, with the main loads being the coolant pump, steering, ignition system, and the various computers/electronics. And the battery was able to maintain a respectable voltage during that time.
These two paragraphs read the same to me.
I had about the same event and same reaction in a ~2006 BMW 325. Difference was the coolant pump was belt-driven. On a hot Florida summer afternoon. Car made it two blocks before it the temp gauge was scary & I shut down and called a tow.
Electric coolant pumps are a great invention.
So that gear-like background in your avatar doesn’t represent mechanical engineering?
Sadly not. It represents my love of steampunk. Cars are mysterious metal boxes to me.
My 2012 RAV4 just had the “check engine” light go on this morning, and I can’t wait to find out how much a new encabulator costs.
My car once threw the alternator belt, and I drove about 40 miles home… at night. The headlights were starting to get rather dim when I pulled in the driveway.
My dad did drag racing and rebuilt engines for a living, so I’ve seen probably dozens of engines that have legitimately thrown a rod, all along the damage spectrum from denting the oil pan to shattering the engine block.
Nevertheless, because of that scene, “we’ve thrown a rod” is my generic mental stand-in for any sort of vehicular failure. Starter won’t turn the engine over? It’s thrown a rod. Charge door won’t open? It’s thrown a rod. Sunvisor won’t stay in place? It’s thrown a rod.
I was a mechanic in another life but have been out of that trade for well over 40 years, so I don’t know much about engines in the last 30ish years. However, the OP’s description of what happened sure does make me think of a timing chain, however, if the chain broke or jumped, no way the engine turns over “normally”.
I haven’t looked at the spoilers so I’m still going to guess: Blinker fluid reservoir ran dry. That can cause quite a commotion similar to what you explained. Now I’ll go back to see if I’m correct…I bet I am!
Why would it not turn over normally if the starter itself is mechanically & electrically still healthy?
Then you’re a good one to ask this: does throwing a rod typically cause fluids and/or smoke to come out of the engine? We didn’t have any smoke, and we didn’t have any fluids for probably 10 or 15 minutes.
It’s a non-interference engine, so, why not? It wouldn’t start, of course, but why couldn’t the starter spin it? Do you expect the chain to get stuck and jammed around its sprocket on the crankshaft?
Oh, no, I’m sure we had plenty of blinker fluid. We were running the blinkers the whole time.