
What started as a father-son deer hunt on Christmas Day 2021 took a shocking turn in the Tennessee wilderness. Tim and Brandon Keller's lives changed forever as they rounded a corner and came face to face with a burning, overturned car on the side of...
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Emily Jones
This episode is brought to you by angel studios. Go to angel.com Miracle Files to show your support this holiday season. Reach for the one butter that never disappoints. Kerrygold. Made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy and perfect for baking. Whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust card, Kerrygold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary.
Holly Worthington
Merry Christmas to all of you from the Miracle Files. We're so grateful for each one of you. We feel like you are our friends and we're so grateful that you support the cause that we believe in, in bringing light and positive entertainment to the world and in reminding the world that God's miracles are truly ever everywhere if we just see them. This remastered episode is one that Emily has taken and just added a few more sound effects to some new music too. It's a wonderful story that took place on Christmas day. So enjoy and please have a wonderful merry Christmas.
Tim
Wednesday, 4:20.
Pam
Well, I guess you haven't made it home yet.
Emily Jones
We're in Bean Station.
Pam
I want to make sure you made it home.
Emily Jones
Give me a call later.
Pam
Bye.
Emily Jones
This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.
Holly Worthington
And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story.
Tim
But.
Holly Worthington
But we're also seeking more light in our lives.
Emily Jones
So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us on this journey.
Holly Worthington
Welcome back to the Miracle Files. How we found the story that we have for you today is kind of a miracle in and of itself.
Emily Jones
Yes. So around Christmas time, we were looking for Christmas stories to share and. And I looked up Christmas miracle in Texas for some reason. It was really random.
Holly Worthington
So random.
Emily Jones
And this is the story that came.
Holly Worthington
Up, but it's not in Texas.
Emily Jones
Yeah. It's kind of funny because it actually was in Tennessee.
Holly Worthington
Yeah. And after you told me, I tried to look it up by searching like Tennessee Christmas miracle story. And it didn't even come up.
Emily Jones
I know. And it's kind of crazy because I feel like it was just meant to be. Like, I love this story and I especially love Tim and Brandon, the father and son in the story. So I'm so glad we found it.
Holly Worthington
They are awesome. And stay tuned for our conversation after because we'll share something else that you're not going to believe. So. Yeah.
Emily Jones
All right, let's jump in.
Holly Worthington
Okay. Let's get into.
Emily Jones
All started on Christmas Day 2021. It was a crisp afternoon in in northeastern Tennessee. Every year after Christmas dinner, Tim and his adult sons would go on a deer hunt, a long standing tradition. Tim, a father of three, cherished these moments with his sons, particularly since his son Brandon, the eldest, was often busy with life's demands.
Tim
Here's Tim and we were waiting on one of my twin boys, Dylan to get to the house and he called and said that he was going to be late, that he would just meet us at our friends where we always meet at to hunt.
Emily Jones
As Brandon and Tim drove, the tranquility of the tree lined countryside enveloped them. But that tranquility was like a calm before a storm. As the father and son navigated a bend in the road, they saw something out of place off in the distance.
Tim
And so me and Brandon got in a truck and went ahead and started driving to my friend's house. And we turned off of the highway onto a little two lane road called Hawley Road. And we came around a curve and there was a car upside down, half of it in the road and half of it off the side. And I told Brandon, I said, well looky there.
Emily Jones
Tim slowed down to get a better look at the overturned car. Its roof was crushed to the point that he couldn't determine if anyone was inside. It was unsettling to see, but at the same time he figured some drunk had wrecked the car the night before and just left it there. With as little traffic as Holly Road got, he knew it was very unlikely. The car had just barely crashed. But curiosity prompted Tim to stop. He climbed out of his truck and.
Tim
I walked over to the car and put my hand up on the side of it and I could feel the.
Emily Jones
Radio, feeling the faint vibrations of a still playing radio. A sudden realization washed over Tim. He'd been wrong. This was a fresh accident and someone might still be inside.
Tim
And I turned to Brandon and I said, call 91 1.
Emily Jones
While Brandon spoke to the 911 dispatcher, Tim ran to his truck.
Tim
And I turned and ran in the bed of my truck and got a hatchet for and I started to knock the passenger side of the vehicle because it was upside down. That was the closest to the road. I started to knock it out and I thought, well, if there's somebody there I could hit them or hurt them even worse. So I went to the back of the vehicle and laid down and knocked the back windshield out. And I said, is anybody in here?
Emily Jones
To Tim's horror, a voice responded and.
Tim
A Man said, yes, me. And I said, how many people? And he said, just me. And I said, are you okay? And he said he was hurt and he couldn't get out because he was stuck in the seat belt.
Emily Jones
Brandon continued to talk to the 911 operator. The 911 operator asked Brandon to give them some kind of address or location marker. Here's Tim's son, Brandon.
Brandon
And so I sprinted as fast as I could up the road and read a house number off and then ran back down to dad. And during that time he had taken that hatchet and busted out the rear window.
Emily Jones
Here's audio from that 911 call.
911 Dispatcher
Okay, how many vehicles is it? This one. It's left over in the ditch. So the person is still in the vehicle. They are. It's just one person and he's a male. Okay, 89 year old male. He's an 89 year old male. It's an 89 year old male.
Pam
Okay.
911 Dispatcher
And do you see any hazards like fuel, fire, smoke, anything like that? There's a little bit of smoke coming from the motor. It's not a lot, but it's a little bit. Okay.
Emily Jones
Tim assessed the situation as quickly as he could. How could he reach the man inside? He tried to crawl through the crumpled back window, but it was impossible to fit. Tim called to Brandon and Brandon hurried to his father's side. Tim explained what he needed Brandon to do.
Brandon
I was still on the phone with 911. I had it in my hand and you actually hear on the 911 call, dad going, brandon, hurry, crawl in there and get him.
Emily Jones
Slender and agile, Brandon dropped to the ground, determined to squeeze through the narrow window. But just as Brandon tried to crawl inside the vehicle, he noticed something terrifying. More smoke was billowing from the car.
Brandon
I happened to look at the car before I crawled in and it was smoking. And I thought, God, I'm asking you to please give us enough time.
Emily Jones
Brandon squeezed through the back window and crawled into the wreckage. The driver's side seatbelt, a lifeline turned trap ensnared a senior man who hung upside down again, saying a prayer in his heart for time and safety. Brandon reached around feeling for the seatbelt buckle. The mangled metal made it difficult to see anything.
Brandon
And so I was just feeling for whatever I could and I found it and I just pushed it real hard and it clicked and he fell face first.
Emily Jones
The man slammed onto the car's ceiling. Now it's floor outside. Tim lay on his stomach trying to see what was happening inside the car. He sensed the danger escalating as the smoke grew thicker.
Tim
By then, I'm concerned that maybe a car is going to come along and run over my legs. And so I kind of slid out and looked up the road and noticed that the car was on fire. And I didn't want to panic Brandon, and I definitely didn't want to panic the elderly gentleman. And so I whispered in Brandon's ear, and I said, brandon, we're going to have to hurry.
Emily Jones
Brandon understood the urgency in his dad's voice. But as Brandon tried to pull the man from the vehicle, the man wouldn't budge and cried out in pain.
Holly Worthington
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Emily Jones
It's amazing. We went and saw it last night. My younger kids absolutely loved it. Like, even my teenagers were super into it. They loved the music.
Holly Worthington
Yeah.
Emily Jones
The thing that I was most surprised by is how much my husband loved it.
Holly Worthington
Same Blake loved it, too. And honestly, I kind of dragged him there, and he leaned over to me, like, halfway through and was like, the animation in this movie is amazing.
Brandon
Yeah.
Holly Worthington
And by the end, we were both in tears, like, he was into it.
Emily Jones
It's funny, it's suspenseful. It's got everything that you're looking for in a great family movie.
Holly Worthington
And yes.
Emily Jones
And by the end, our whole theater was erupting in applause. Like, it was so good.
Holly Worthington
Yes, ours, too. And it was so cute. There was this older gentleman in front of us that just, like, clapped for the last 10 minutes straight, and there were little kids jumping out up and down in excitement. It was awesome.
Emily Jones
We are telling you, go to angel.com Miracle Files and become a premium member of the Angel Guild. You'll get to start streaming their prequel, Young David, right away, and you'll receive two free movie tickets to go see David in movie theaters.
Holly Worthington
You get two free movie tickets to every movie that they release in theaters, and they release about one a month. So it's a really great deal. Go to angel.com Miracle files and now back to our story.
Tim
And Brandon asked him what was wrong, and he said the seat belt was wrapped around his arm.
Brandon
And he said, I'm caught in the seat belt. And I thought, oh. And he was all tangled up in it. And dad reached in again and said, brandon, the car is on fire. You need to do it now. And so I just put my hand up there and started just tornadoing, just swirling around, trying to get that thing off of him.
Emily Jones
As flames grew higher, Brandon worked against the clock, desperately trying to untangle the man from the seat belt. Finally, Brandon felt the seatbelt retract. Tim reached into the burning car to help Brandon pull on the man.
Tim
So he got it loose, and Brandon was able to get a hold of him and pull him halfway to the back. And then I was able to reach far enough to get a hold of his belt on his pants.
Emily Jones
Just as they pulled the man free, the fire consumed the car, completely engulfing it in flames. After ensuring the man's safety, the gravity of the situation settled in. Tim and Brandon, overwhelmed by adrenaline and relief, stared at the raging inferno, a stark reminder of the narrow escape. Brandon dialed 911 again.
911 Dispatcher
I called 911 earlier. About a car accident. Correct. And I just wanted to let you know that we've got him out of the car. We still need an ambulance, and the car is now on fire or else we need a fire. So the car is now on fire and you've got him out of the vehicle? Yes, ma'. Am. Okay, I need y' all if you can get away or from the vehicle. Okay. Okay, we pulled away. We've got him away. How's his breathing? He's breathing okay. He's cut up a little bit from the glass. Okay. All right. They're coming as quick as they can. Okay. Just keep him still if possible. Okay, We've got him laying on his back. Okay. Yeah, keep him still. Possible. And keep his neck stabilized for me. Okay. My med unit should be there within the next few minutes. Okay, I hear him.
Emily Jones
The fire department and ambulance arrived, and Tim and Brandon learned the name of the car's driver, J.D. winagar. His family had been worrying about him because he hadn't arrived home after Christmas dinner at his sister's house. Here's his daughter Pam, describing what happened.
Pam
We had our dinner and he wasn't acting just right. And so I was a little bit worried about him. I walked him out to the car and he was going this way and we were going this way. And so after we were gone for about 30 or 40 minutes, I told my husband, I said, I need to call, make sure dad got home. And we were in a little place called Bean Station, Tennessee. And so I called dad and I left him a message. He didn't answer. I left him a message on the answering machine.
Emily Jones
Here is the audio from Pam's voicemail.
Tim
Wednesday, 4:20.
Emily Jones
I guess you haven't made it home yet.
Pam
We're in Bean Station.
Emily Jones
I want to make sure you made it home.
911 Dispatcher
Give me a call later.
Emily Jones
Bye.
Pam
And I had still had my phone in my hand when it rang. And my brother said, sis, you need to turn around. And I said, what's going on? And he said, dad's had a wreck. And my heart just fell.
Emily Jones
Pam, along with her family, was shocked to learn of her dad's ordeal. Pam says it was a miracle that Tim and Brandon saved her father. After spending some time in the hospital, JD Was finally able to return home, deeply grateful to the two men who had saved his life. JD went on to live another 14 months, a gift his family cherished deeply. On the day JD Passed away, Tim was by his side holding his hand while Brandon honored him as a pallbearer at his funeral. Pam says those final months with her father were absolutely precious to her family.
Pam
It meant everything to us to have dad for that much longer. He got to welcome a great, great grandson two weeks before he passed. We got a five generation picture of my dad, me, my son, his son, and then my little great grandbaby named Riker. And we even have a picture of dad holding him. Who knew that two weeks later he wouldn't be with us anymore.
Emily Jones
Pam shudders to think of how her father would have suffered if Tim and Brandon hadn't come when they did. The thought was upsetting to her father as well.
Pam
It terrified him to think about what it would have been like had they not gotten him out. Because there was no other cars. The day that I met Brandon and Tim for the first time. We were out there for at least 45 minutes and then there was not a single car that went by except for the news person that came to interview us. That was it. So he very likely could have been there for hours.
Emily Jones
She says her father, J.D. sometimes wondered why he had experienced such a miracle.
Pam
And, you know, he asked me sometimes, why, why do you think that happened? I said that I don't know. I said, I don't know how any of it happened because. Because the whole thing was just, you know, one little miracle after another. I mean, who drives around with a hatchet in their car to knock a window out, you know? And I said, dad, look at all the people that we've got to share this story with and tell them that we know it was God that worked this miracle, you know, and they even said it on the news. I mean, you know, nowadays the news is very, you know, they try to not talk about religion or anything, but even they, they said that we all felt like it was a miracle from God. Not just a miracle, but a miracle from God.
Emily Jones
Tim and Brandon agree that it was a Miracle.
Tim
What if we had waited on my other son to get there rather than meet him at my friend's? Or what if we would have got stopped by a red light? Because I really believe that if we had have been 30 seconds later, I don't know, that we could have got him out and think that we might have to watch him burn up.
Emily Jones
Just 30 seconds stood between life and death for JD Weinecker. 30 seconds and two men with big courageous hearts and a relentless faith in God. Tim and Brandon were later awarded a community Hero award by the sheriff's department. But they give all the credit to God.
Brandon
That was probably the most divine intervention of God that I've ever experienced in my life in, like, a physical, visual sense. And I'm just still in awe of the power and the foresight and just the presence that he has to be able to accomplish something of that magnitude and to use two guys, a father and son from northeastern Tennessee, to do it and bless us in the process of it. I have walked away from that experience a different person.
Holly Worthington
Wow. Can you imagine what poor JD Winegar would have gone through if these men come the moment they did?
Emily Jones
Yeah, that would be probably the worst way to die.
Holly Worthington
Be awful.
Emily Jones
And I know that, like, horrible things happen to people. People go through really hard things, but they do. I just think in this instance, I mean, the mercy that God had on J.D. weinegar and the fact that these men were. He was able to use them and they left the house exactly the right time. It's just such a miracle.
Holly Worthington
Yeah. And another really cool aspect of the story is how Tim and Brandon went on to become great friends with Mr. Weiniger. His daughter told us about Mr. Weinecker's 90th birthday party, where Tim and Brandon celebrated with him. And here's what she said.
Pam
We gave him a. A 90th birthday party and invited Tim and Brandon and their wives. And it was. It was winding down and they were getting ready to leave. Tim came over and stood beside dad and. And dad grabbed his hand and he said, thank you all for coming. He said, if it hadn't been for you guys, he said, I wouldn't be here today to be doing this. And Dad's crying and Tim's crying and I'm crying. Everybody was crying. But it was just a really sweet moment that dad was right. He wouldn't. He wouldn't have been there if it hadn't been for them.
Emily Jones
The bond that they share is just the sweetest thing to me. I mean, it's so cool that it didn't just end that day. I mean, they continue to be friends forever.
Holly Worthington
And we told you all that we have a surprise to share here. So you're not going to believe this. Like, when we say, these men are amazing, we are not kidding. Yeah.
Emily Jones
So we have another quick story to share. Brandon. Believe it or not, Brandon, turns out, was a part of another miracle. A month after this happened, on January 26th, there was an elderly couple, and they had gone missing. And a silver alert was issued, which is like an amber alert, but with senior citizens who have mental disabilities, like Alzheimer's.
Holly Worthington
Yeah. And Brandon Keller was headed to work that next morning on the 28th, and he passed what used to be an old gas station. And here's what he said happened.
Brandon
And right in that parking lot next to this kind of embankment, I seen somebody laying on the ground and a man standing near her and a car parked next to him. And I was like, what in the world? Probably, you know, people on drugs or something like that. And I got to the bottom of the hill, and I thought, you know what? It's just not sitting right with me. So I ended up turning around and pulling up there, and I said, hey, buddy, what's going on? I said, are they okay? Talking about the person laying on the ground? And he said, no, she's about to freeze to death. And I said, what? And so I ran over there and I said, I realized it was a woman. I said, honey, are you still with me? And she said, yeah. I said, are you cold? And she said, yeah. And so I ran to the truck and got my car heart work jacket and put over top of her, and. And I started rubbing her, trying to generate some heat. And I said, how long have you been out here, honey? She said, well, what time is it? And I said, it's about 6:30 or 7 in the morning. And she said, well, I guess I've been out here most of the night. And I said, oh, Lord.
Emily Jones
Okay.
Holly Worthington
So Brandon called 911 immediately, and a police officer who went to high school with Brandon arrived on scene. And he could not believe his eyes when he saw Brandon standing there.
Brandon
He's just like, dude, what are you doing? I was just like, I know. I just came up on him, dude. And he said, bro, he said, you done it again? And I said, what do you mean? He said, these two people have been missing and you found them? I said, you have got to be kidding. He said, wait till the sheriff hears about this one.
Emily Jones
So he found these senior citizens. He's like, saving senior citizens left and right.
Holly Worthington
It's so awesome. And in addition to that, Brandon was awarded another medal by the sheriff's office for going above and beyond in helping fellow citizens.
Emily Jones
So I mean, it's just amazing what will happen if you tune your will in with God. And clearly Brandon and Tim had their wills in tune with God. And if you do, he will use you and he Brandon.
Holly Worthington
Yeah. These guys are seriously my heroes and.
Emily Jones
I want to be like them. I want to be that in tune.
Holly Worthington
Yeah, same. Okay, well, thank you all for listening again. We hope you love this story as much as we do.
Emily Jones
Make sure you stay tuned for more miracles.
Holly Worthington
Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact us@the Miracle Files.com or find us on Facebook.
Emily Jones
We're now releasing multiple episodes each month, so subscribe on your favorite podcast platform platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.
Holly Worthington
Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.
Emily Jones
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Podcast: The Miracle Files
Hosts: Emily Jones & Holly Worthington
Date: December 22, 2025
Episode Theme:
A gripping, heartfelt true story of courage and divine timing, this episode recounts the Christmas Day rescue of an elderly man trapped in a burning, overturned car in rural Tennessee. The tale—told primarily by the rescuers and the victim’s daughter—highlights ordinary people’s bravery, the enduring bonds formed through crisis, and the belief in everyday miracles.
Emily and Holly, two sisters committed to sharing uplifting accounts of hope and resilience, present the miraculous story of Tim and Brandon—a father and son—who rescued 89-year-old J.D. Weiniger from a burning car on Christmas Day. Listeners learn not just about the ordeal and split-second decisions that saved a life, but also about the profound aftershocks of gratitude, friendship, and faith that followed.
Emily Jones (02:22): “It was just meant to be... I love this story and I especially love Tim and Brandon, the father and son in the story.”
Brandon (07:50): “I happened to look at the car before I crawled in and it was smoking. And I thought, God, I'm asking you to please give us enough time.”
Tim (08:51): “Brandon, we're going to have to hurry.”
Brandon (10:48): “He was all tangled up in it. And Dad reached in again and said, Brandon, the car is on fire. You need to do it now.”
Pam (15:02): “It meant everything to us to have dad for that much longer. He got to welcome a great, great grandson two weeks before he passed.”
Pam (19:10): “Dad grabbed his hand... He said, if it hadn't been for you guys, I wouldn't be here today to be doing this.”
Pam (16:07): “Because the whole thing was just, you know, one little miracle after another. I mean, who drives around with a hatchet in their car?” Tim (16:55): “If we had have been 30 seconds later, I don't know, that we could have got him out...” Brandon (17:38): “That was probably the most divine intervention of God that I've ever experienced in my life in, like, a physical, visual sense... I have walked away from that experience a different person.”
Brandon (22:07): “He's just like, dude, what are you doing?... You done it again? ...These two people have been missing and you found them?”
"God, I'm asking you to please give us enough time."
– Brandon (07:50)
"If we had have been 30 seconds later, I don't know, that we could have got him out and think that we might have to watch him burn up."
– Tim (16:55)
"That was probably the most divine intervention of God that I've ever experienced in my life in, like, a physical, visual sense."
– Brandon (17:38)
"I mean, who drives around with a hatchet in their car to knock a window out, you know?... The news... said that we all felt like it was a miracle from God."
– Pam (16:07)
"I want to be like them. I want to be that in tune."
– Emily Jones (23:03)
Warm, conversational, and faith-affirming. The hosts and speakers openly express gratitude and awe, crediting God’s hand in the ordeal. Their storytelling is empathetic, familial, and encouraging, intended to uplift and inspire listeners with concrete examples of everyday miracles and the power of acting "in tune" with faith and compassion.
This episode of The Miracle Files offers more than a dramatic rescue—it’s a testament to ordinary people rising to extraordinary circumstances, the ripple effect of a single moment of courage, and the lasting bonds that can form from crisis and gratitude. Intertwined with themes of faith and community, it's a moving, memorable reminder that miracles may be just around the corner—or on the next quiet country road.