UPDATE:
Fire and Rescue NSW has released confronting photos of the truck rollover near East Maitland this morning.
Just after 7am, Fire and Rescue NSW responded to the crash near the East Maitland exit on The Hunter Expressway, Buchanan.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a truck had lost its trailer and rolled down an embankment, injuring the driver and spilling the contents of the truck across the road.
The crash detached the diesel tank, which resulted in fuel leaking in a nearby water catchment.
Hazardous materials crews from Rutherford and Newcastle arrived on scene to contain the diesel spill and worked with the NSW Police, NSW SES and the NSW Rural Fire Service to render the area safe.
The driver of the truck was treated on scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being airlifted to hospital for further treatment.
Earlier…
A truck driver has been taken to John Hunter Hospital after a nasty accident near Buchanan this morning.
Police say the 50-year-old man was thrown from his semi-trailer when it hit a pole while travelling along the Hunter Expressway.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter and paramedics attended the scene at around 7am.
The man suffered severe chest and head injuries.
Drivers have been asked to avoid the area and use John Renshaw Drive and the M1 Pacific Motorway.
