A driver had to make an unexpected stop on a Melbourne motorway after she looked down to find a deadly snake inside her car – and slithering up her leg.

The police were called to conduct a welfare check on the woman, who was “acting hiss-terically on the side of the road” attempting to flag down passing cars, Victoria Police said.

The woman told officers she had been driving at 80km/h (50mph) on the Monash freeway when she felt something on her foot.

Melbourne Snake Control were called in to retrieve the animal, which was identified as a tiger snake, one of the world’s most venomous reptiles.

The driver was taken to hospital for a suspected snake bite and is doing well, Melbourne Snake Control said on a social media post.

“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”, Victoria Police said.

Officers said she had been “rattled” and “in a state of shock”.

Passing drivers were “left in bewilderment” as the snake was pulled out of the car, police added; Tim Nanninga from Melbourne Snake Control said some in traffic started to video the removal.

He told ABC News he released the snake back into the wild “well away from houses, people and pets”.