Many people
have dreams they never realize. One woman, a 97-year-old great-grandmother from
New Jersey, has a bucket list of goals she still wants to complete. This past
week, she notched one of those goals off her list when she drove a semi-truck,
a dream she’s had for most of her life.
Vera
Abruzzi has wanted to drive one of the big rigs for about 80 years. Last
Wednesday, with the help of her grandson, Gary Kadi, she saw that dream come
true.
Kadi
arranged for his beloved grandmother to take semi-truck driving lessons with
Winsor’s Tractor Trailer Driving School. The instructor spent the day with her
as Abruzzi learned to drive the 70-foot long rig. At the end of the day, she
got to drive it around in a Linden, New Jersey parking lot.
Prior to her big day behind the wheel, the grandmother of 4 said she was
looking forward to the experience probably as much as she’d looked forward to
anything in all her 97 years. She explained that the 18-wheelers have always
intrigued her and she’s longed to experience driving one firsthand.
Her instructor said she did just fine and handled the truck’s gear system well
up to 20 mph. The great-grandmother of 7 told a WABV-TV reporter after the
momentous drive that given the opportunity to take the rig on the highway, she
would have gone 90 mph. She said she isn’t afraid of trying anything.
So what’s
next for Abruzzi? She said she’d love to fly an airplane. Kadi said whatever
she wants to do, the family is on it.
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