I believe you have just taken the big fish story from me, with pictures no less. Years ago a guy called to have our wrecker come pick up his Chrysler station wagon which had lost a wheel. When examined the wheel, hub, drum, everything had come off past the bearing retainer nut which still had the cotter pin in place. The outer bearing and race were completely gone. He looked at us and in all innocence said, "Gee, you would think it would give some kind of warning". I recommended the first thing that needed to be done was to make an appointment with an ear doctor.