The woman was driving on the Monash Freeway near the Toorak Road exit in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs on Saturday morning when she felt something on her barefoot.

The woman told police that she looked down to find a snake “slithering up her leg”, while driving at 80km/h on the freeway.

Police said that “remarkably” the woman was able to escape the tiger snake, one of the world’s most venomous reptiles, before pulling over in the slip lane and leaping out of her car.

Paramedics were called to the scene and it was confirmed that while the woman was in a state of shock, she had not been bitten.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said that the driver was taken to the Alfred Hospital in a stable condition for further observation.

Tim Nanningato from Melbourne Snake Control was called to safely remove the snake from the car.

“Passing motorists were left in bewilderment as the massive snake was safely removed from the vehicle,” a police spokesperson said.

“And so ended one of the more bizarre welfare checks you’ll ever hear about.”

Nanninga said he had no idea how the woman managed to pull over safely.

“I do feel sorry for the lady that was driving – it would have been absolutely terrifying,” Nanningato said.

The snake wrangler said that he received six to 12 requests a year to remove snakes from cars, but this was his first time being called to a freeway.