Mr Hawkins, who was involved in a crash caused by black ice in Christchurch on Saturday, said last night police had classified the accident as ``near fatal''.
His wife, Anya Sinclair, was driving him and their baby boy, Emile Hawkins, to a Green Party conference, where Mr Hawkins was to give a speech.
Near the suburb of Halswell, the car hit black ice, spun out of control and hit a power pole.
"Had our vehicle been less substantial or it had hit at a different angle, the outcome would have been far worse for all involved,'' Mr Hawkins said.
Ms Sinclair and Emile were discharged on Saturday night with "minor scrapes''.
Mr Hawkins hoped to have surgery for a serious fracture of the humerus tomorrow.
Other than that injury, he had ``sprains and bruising and cuts and bits and pieces, but nothing else substantial'', he said.
He was unsure when he would be able to return to Dunedin and his council work, but said he was keen to get back "as soon as I can''.
In other incidents yesterday:
Police spokesman Nic Barkley said a car hit black ice on Omakau-Chatto Creek Rd, then "slid and flipped'' about 1pm.
The two occupants in the car suffered minor to moderate injuries. The overturned car blocked both lanes of State Highway 87 for nearly an hour.
Five people were injured when a 4WD and ute crashed at Raes Junction about 5pm.
A St John spokeswoman said the vehicles crashed in ``very icy conditions''.
A person suffered serious injuries and was flown to Southland Hospital.
Another four people had moderate to minor injuries.
Two people were flown to Dunedin Hospital after suffering injuries in a crash on the Morrisons-Kyeburn road, Round Hill, about 3pm.
A St John spokeswoman said one person was in a serious condition and the other was in a moderate condition.
A car went down a bank at Knobs Flat on the highway between Te Anau and Milford Sound about 2.45pm.
A St John spokeswoman said an ambulance attended and people were "checked'' at the scene.
A truck hit a rail overbridge on State Highway 88, near Port Chalmers, about 11.40am. The driver was taken to Dunedin Hospital with minor injuries.
A police spokeswoman said officers were investigating the matter.
No charges had been laid and she would not comment on the cause of the incident. However, it appeared some equipment protruding from the truck had hit the bridge.
Oamaru emergency services were called to a nose-to-tail car crash involving three cars just south of Waitaki Bridge.
Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru, said a vehicle was pulling into a driveway. The two cars behind slowed down, but a third car travelling behind them failed to stop and crashed into the vehicles in front.
Sgt Woodbridge said there were no injuries and all drivers were from out of town.
- Additional reporting NZME.
