1997 ford escort won't start after almost overheating?

When I was driving my car on the freeway going 70mph I noticed that the low coolant light came on and the coolant temp gauge went 2/3 of the way toward red, then it started losing power from the engine, stepping on gas didn't do anything. 30 seconds later it started making a rotational noise like something rolling around and the car died. When I checked the radiator it was empty but no leaks visible. I added water and tried starting but it only turned over and blew a puff of white smoke from the tail pipe. I checked the oil also and it looks normal.
is this a blown head gasket or worse?

Blew a head gasket or cracked a head.
Either way the intake rxhaust, all accessorirs and top end of the engine need removed.

Head gasket

Don't even bother doing the head gasket, the engine is now a giant paper weight. When you over heat it to the point it loses power and makes noises the engine is ruined.

Could be blown gasket or worst case, a cracked head. Do a compression test to be sure.

So you stepped on the gas? I wonder why? Engine rebuild is now necessary due to your stupidity.

You probably blew the head gasket. The temperature gauge is not accurate when the cooling system is empty and you've been over heating the motor for some time. The cylinder head needs to be pressure tested for cracks when the head gasket is replaced.

When a car is low on coolant the temperature gauge won't register correctly because there isn't a constant flow crossing the sending unit. At the very least you have blown a head gasket.

Worse; Never put cold water in an overheated engine unless it is running and you slowly add the water. Quenching a hot engine like you did will usually crack the heads and/or the block. What your engine did when it quit was to seize up- the pistons outgrew the cylinders and got stuck. Had you let the engine cool off before refilling the radiator, you may have saved yourself a few thousand dollars in needed repairs. I hope, for your sake, I'm wrong, but you need a mechanic to check it out.

It surely sounds like your situation was a severe overheat. Why you kept driving, on & on & on, until the engine actually stopped running, is a question we all wonder.

At the FIRST SIGN of a cooling system problem, you should immediately get off the road, park somewhere close/safe and SHUT OFF THE ENGINE! And not start it until you find what is wrong, and actually REMEDY the problem, even if it's only a temporary remedy.

I hear story after story of people driving just 5 more miles to get home, and this retarded idea changes a perhaps $50 to $100 problem, into a $500 to $1500 problem.

It's not the head gasket that is injured by a severe overheat. The cylinder head actually warps, then it unevenly clamps the cylinder head gasket to the engine block. Then the leak starts. The cylinder head must be either unwarped or replaced. Lots of labor cost plus expensive outside services or a new or used cylinder head.

-Engine overhaul mechanic and general automotive mechanic since 1972.