1998 Honda Accord Driving down highway at 60mph, RPMs go up

The rpms go up to 3, back down, back up, feels like the trans is slipping, loud noise as if there was a hole in the exhaust for the past 2 days, but in the engine, not in the exhaust. Then I freak out, pull over to a rest stop (thank god it was there!), Turn the car off. Try to restart the car, and it will not start. The tow truck guy said it was the timing chain/belt. I mentioned it to the mechanic across the street from me, he said same thing. To scrap my car. He then said he'd come over to look just in case. He came over and took the top of my engine off, pulled on a belt to the left of the timing chain, making the timing chain move, said the timing chain was not broken, and my pistons were fine, and he thinks, by the sound the car makes when you are trying to start it, that it's the starter now. My question, would the starter cause the car to do that rpm thing while driving? Do you think it might be the starter?