Imagine you're driving down the road when suddenly you feel something slithering up your leg. That was the terrifying reality for one Australian woman. The woman was driving on a busy highway when she found a deadly snake slithering up her leg.
The shock would have been enough to make many people crash. However, she somehow managed to keep a level head and avoid getting bit by the deadly snake. Authorities arrived to the scene to help the woman. This came after she started "attempting to flag down passing vehicles."
The woman was barefoot and walking along the freeway in Melbourne on November 30th. According to a statement by the Victoria Police, the woman managed to escape the vehicle but was then stranded on the highway. She had been driving 50 mph on the highway when "she felt something on her foot."
Deadly Snake Almost Bites Woman
She looked down "to find a deadly tiger snake slithering up her leg." Somehow, she managed to avoid getting bit by the snake while also driving and avoiding traffic as well "before pulling over and leaping out of her car to safety."
Paramedics checked the woman for bites, but fortunately, the deadly snake didn't bite her. From there, authorities called Tim Nanninga from Melbourne Snake Control to remove the reptile. He identified it as a tiger snake, the third most venomous in Australia.
"[It's] a miracle how she got off the road and safely parked the car and called [Victoria Police]," Nanninga told CNN affiliate 9 News. "Normally when snakes are in cars they find a really nice little hidey hole and they can stay in for days and not come out, but we were lucky the snake moved along to the back of the car."
"Bites are fatal if untreated, causing pain in the feet and neck, tingling, numbness and sweating, followed by breathing difficulties and paralysis," according to Australian Geographic. "The venom also damages the blood and muscles, leading to renal failure."
If you come across a tiger snake, Nanninga recommends keeping your distance.
"They're not going to chase after you, they're not out there to hurt you," he added.
