MURFREESBORO, TN — Dennis Caldwell, 47, who described his spiritual life as “basically dormant since 1998,” reportedly whispered a full and earnest prayer to God on Tuesday afternoon when his 16-year-old son Tyler accelerated onto I-24 without checking his mirrors.

“I just said, ‘Lord, I know it’s been a while,’” Caldwell told reporters from the passenger seat, where he had white-knuckled the grab handle hard enough to leave permanent impressions. “He didn’t seem to hold it against me. We merged safely. I think we have an understanding now.”

Tyler, for his part, said the drive felt “totally fine” and rated the experience a seven out of ten, noting his father’s repeated phantom braking as “a little distracting.” DMV records confirm Tyler signaled correctly twice, which his father described as “the first genuine miracle I’ve witnessed in person.”

“I’ve been to a lot of church services. Nothing has ever made me feel the fragility of human existence quite like my teenager doing 68 miles per hour in the fast lane.”

Sandra Caldwell, 45, who declined to participate in the lesson after the previous attempt in a Walmart parking lot, said she had prayed for her husband’s spiritual renewal for years. “I pictured a retreat. Maybe a men’s conference,” she said. “God apparently had other plans.”

The family has scheduled Tyler’s second highway drive for Thursday. Dennis has already renewed his church membership and signed up for the Wednesday night prayer group.

At press time, Caldwell was seen purchasing a “Student Driver” bumper magnet, a travel rosary, and a jumbo-sized antacid from a Flying J off exit 81.