[lkchris]

Vaguely relevant,but legend has it that with a BMW inline 6 if a water pump fails on highway, you've only seconds to stop the motor before you have a warped cylinder head. In any event, moral of story is stop motor asap--yes it's inconvenient but wishful thinking doesn't help.

And, your first dashboard indication of belt failure is going to be the alternator charging light--it likely means something more serious than some charging system problem. That, in fact, is a pretty silly conclusion.