Elderly man pushed to the ground during Newcastle carjacking

An elderly driver has been attacked at a Newcastle petrol station by a carjacker who pushed him to the ground before taking off in his car.

CCTV shows the 89-year-old slowly drive towards another vehicle parked in the bays near the station's cashier on the Pacific Highway at Highfields. Then there's a jump in the security vision.

It skips to show the driver outside his car, tussling with a hooded male.

The hooded man grabs for the driver's keys, while the elderly man desperately tries to keep hold.

The elderly man loses his grip as the hooded man roughly pushes him to the ground.

The carjacker drives away leaving his victim on the wet driveway.

The thief then speeds down Lexington Parade Kotara near one of the region's busiest shopping centres and smashes into five cars.

"It was completely out of control, it skidded around the corner, absolutely completely hitting cars, just hitting cars left right and centre," Elaine, who witnessed the incident, told 9News.

Bystanders come to the aid of the elderly driver with paramedics treating him for cuts and bruises.

The carjacker is aged in his 30s, is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance.