A driver cruising down a highway in eastern Australia felt something on her foot and discovered a deadly tiger snake “slithering up her leg”, police said on Sunday.

Officers found her on the side of the Monash Freeway near Melbourne, barefoot and in a state of shock after her Friday morning encounter with the reptile, Victoria state police said.

“The woman explained that she had been travelling at 80km/h on the freeway when she felt something on foot and looked down to find a deadly tiger snake slithering up her leg,” police said in a statement.

“Remarkably, she was able to fend the snake off her and weave through traffic before pulling over and leaping out of her car to safety.”

Tiger snakes, named after their coloured stripes, are among the most venomous snakes in the world, according to the state’s wildlife department.