EXCLUSIVE: How could anyone survive this? Man pulled from runaway truck crash had two broken legs, a fractured shoulder, punctured lung and eight busted ribs: 'Other than that, I wasn't too bad'

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A grandfather who spent more than five months in hospital after he was hit by an allegedly stolen semi-trailer while sitting in his car has revealed his horrific injuries for the first time.

Kerry Small remembers nothing of the runaway truck's impact but has been told how the semi-trailer ploughed into his vehicle while he waited in traffic at Singleton in the New South Wales Hunter Valley last year.

'I would like to be able to talk about it mate but I don’t remember anything about it,' Mr Small said.

The 67-year-old, who was released from hospital about six weeks ago, knows all about the terrible injuries he sustained in an incident witnesses said left parts of the town resembling a 'war zone'.

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Kerry Small was in this red Holden Cruze when he was hit by a runaway truck at Singleton

The scene of the crash at Singleton in October last year. Kerry Small's red vehicle is at centre

This vehicle was among five smashed by an out-of-control semi-trailer at Singleton last year

Kerry Small, 67, spent more than five months in hospital after his car was rammed by a truck

Retired maintenance engineer Kerry Small was hit by this runaway semi-trailer at Singleton

'I got two broken legs to start off with,' Mr Small said. 'And five - no, seven, eight - broken ribs. 

'I got a punctured lung, a brain bleed where I cut my head open. I got a broken neck, two breaks in my spine.

'I got a broken shoulder and the internal injuries. 

'Other than that, I wasn't too bad.'

Mr Small, a retired maintenance engineer from Muswellbrook, was the most seriously injured of eight people hurt when a man ploughed a semi-trailer into five stationary cars at Singleton, causing 'absolute carnage'.

Rodney Johnson, 29, had allegedly stolen the semi-trailer from a service station at Murrurundi - more than 100 kilometres away - about 7.30am on October 11 while its driver was paying for fuel.

Emergency Services workers examine Kerry Small's crushed red Holden Cruze at Singleton

One witness said George St, Singleton, looked like a war zone after the horrific truck crash

Retiree Kerry Small suffered two broken legs and other fractures when hit by a semi-trailer

Police pursued this allegedly stolen semi-trailer before it crashed and burst into flames

Police initiated a pursuit and deployed road spikes as the truck approached Singleton at speeds estimated at 100km/h.

The semi-trailer continued for a few kilometres after hitting the spikes, crossed a bridge then crashed and burst into flames on George Street about 8.45am.

Mr Small was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in critical condition. He still has no memory of the crash, which occurred when his red Holden Cruze was caught in a traffic jam.

'As far as the accident itself I couldn’t tell you anything about it. I only know what I was told,' he said.

'I don’t know what I was doing I don’t even remember leaving the place where I live.

'I know a lot of things that people told me but as far as the crash goes I wouldn’t have a clue.' 

Firefighters work on cleaning up after a horrific truck crash in Singleton in October last year

A semi-trailer slammed into five cars and several buildings after a lengthy police pursuit 

He knows he is lucky to be alive. 'So I'm told,' Mr Small said. 'Everybody seems to be saying that.'

Mr Small, who has lost 25kg since the crash, describe the pain he is still experiencing as 'seven out of 10'.

His eldest son Aaron said his father faced a long road to recovery. 

'He's very, very lucky,' the 49-year-old said. 'Doctors told us it was only the size of him that saved his life.

'Apparently he told one of the paramedics that he's seen the truck coming but he had nowhere to go but he doesn't remember saying it.' 

Mr Small is staying in an apartment in Newcastle while a new home with ramps and other modifications is prepared for him near Port Macquarie at Fern Bay. 

'I'm not too bad,' he said. 'I'm walking around on a stick. My legs won't support me by themselves.'

'I've got a job lifting my arms up.'

The scene after Rodney Johnson allegedly ploughed a truck into five stationary cars last year

The Royal Hotel and a vehicle parked outside were both hit by an allegedly stolen truck

Johnson, the driver of the semi-trailer, was arrested at the scene, taken to hospital with minor injuries and underwent mandatory tests.

He was refused bail and faces 24 charges, including negligent driving, dangerous driving, furious driving causing bodily harm, stealing a motor vehicle, leading police on a pursuit and assaulting police.

'I couldn't say anything about the bloke,' Mr Small said.

'I hope he gets as much time in jail as what I did in hospital or better.'

Retiree Tony Deakin, who survived the crash with his wife Jenny, described the aftermath of the incident as like a 'war zone'. 

Witness Debbie Anderson described her terror as she sat in traffic and saw the truck hurtling towards her at high speed.

'It was like something that you'd see on the movies,' Ms Anderson said.

'I don't even know how fast he was travelling, he was absolutely flying.

'I was in complete disbelief.'

One witness described the scene after the Singleton truck crash as resembling a war zone

The semi-trailer crossed a bridge and barreled down George Street before its fiery crash

Kerry Small has trouble walking after the crash which broke both his legs and one shoulder

Meri Basci said she was on her way to work when she saw the truck being driven 'erratically' over the bridge before it crashed and burst into flames.

'I saw a lot of dust under his wheels... it all happened so fast,' Ms Basci said.

'I couldn't even understand how he could drive that fast over the bridge without hitting anyone or anything.

'A second later all I could hear was a big bang and a lot of black smoke.'

NSW Ambulance Inspector Luke Wiseman said it was 'chaotic' when paramedics first arrived before 9am with a number of 'distressed people'.

'The scale and suddenness of the incident and the fact that is has happened in a smaller community means a lot of people are in shock, so it was a challenging scene,' Mr Wiseman said.

Huge blankets of black smoke could be seen and one witness reportedly said there was a 'huge fireball' with cars 'all over the road'.

George Street, Singleton, after a semi-trailer took out five parked cars in October last year

New traffic lights had to be installed in George St, Singleton, after a terrible semi-trailer crash