Motorway plunge: Driver feeling 'not too bad'

Truck driver Brendon Greig recovering in Auckland Hospital after a smashing through a motorway barrier near Auckland's Spaghetti Junction. Photo / Jason Oxenham

The driver of a truck that smashed through a barrier, plunged down a bank and landed on a motorway 7m below reckons he's had worse injuries during his jockey days.

Brendon Greig, 47, walked away from Sunday's dramatic crash with a fractured back vertebra and a cut on his finger.

But he said he suffered worse during his days as a jump jockey, including a broken collar bone, broken wrist and torn ligaments -- and he thought he'd left danger behind him.

"Life [after racing] was meant to be a lot simpler."

The truckie was two hours in to his usual route from Hamilton to Whangarei to deliver a load of fertiliser when the truck crashed off the Southern Motorway and on to the port motorway link below at Auckland's Spaghetti Junction.

Mr Greig was hospitalised following the crash, but was now back in his Cambridge home, being looked after by his partner Angela Rotherham.

He said he was feeling "not too bad".

"Still got a bit of bruising and soreness, but that's about all really."

But he still did not remember any of the crash.

He was suffering a compression fracture on his vertebra and was wearing a brace so he could walk.

"I've still got a cut on my finger, but that's pretty minor.

"The injuries I've got are pretty minor for what it could easily have been."

His story had reached international media and friends from around the world had been calling with their support, Mr Greig said.

"It's a bit hard to take all in really."

Mr Greig said he would probably drive past the crash site at some stage.

"It's going to be a while before I can do anything like that -- just physically I can't go up there."

His workplace had been "fantastic".

"They made sure I was alright and we've gone through everything we can and all the formalities you've got to go through because of the accident. But very supportive."

At this stage he wasn't bothered about the idea of getting back to work again.

"You won't know until you hop back in a truck and go for a drive I suppose."

The company would investigate what caused the crash.

A police spokeswoman said the crash was still being investigated.

"There has been no decision on the possibility of any charges yet."