Never too old: 97-year-old New Jersey grandma drives big rig

LINDEN, N.J. -- Under the heading, you're never too old to try something new, a great-grandmother in New Jersey is checking off one of the must-do items of her "bucket list."

Her dream was to drive a big rig truck, and at age 97, she hit the road.

A parking lot in Linden isn't exactly the Audobon, but it's given Vera Abruzzi the thrill of her life.

"I always desired to drive a truck and I got it before I died," she said.

The New Brunswick grandmother of four, and great-grandmother of seven, mentioned to her grandson Gary Kadi three weeks ago that she's always wanted to drive a big rig.

Wednesday morning, Winsor's Tractor Trailer Driving School in Linden agreed to give her a free lesson.

"I'm not nervous. I always say, do it, if it don't work out it don't work out. I'm not afraid of nothing," Vera said.

She had a little trouble cutting a corner, but for the most part, she whipped a 70-foot rig around the parking lot like a pro.

"Right here we did a clutch, we did first gear, second gear, third and fourth gear. We went up to 20 miles an hour, you did very good," her instructor said.

"If I was on the highway, I'd go 90," said Vera.

Abruzzi says driving this rig is not the only thing on her bucket list. She'd also like to pilot an airplane, but not too fast, she says.

"That would be a dream come true. I think it's going to be a little more difficult than driving a tractor-trailer, but whatever she requests, we're on it," said her grandson Kadi.

"At least I got it out of my system. I'm so happy, I could kiss my grandson for this," Abruzzi said. And she did.