An Albany woman who narrowly avoided a serious collision on South Coast Highway after driving recklessly on the wrong side of the road and being found with meth in her pocket has had her prison term suspended.

Samantha Reingard Bielecki, 29, appeared before Albany Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to reckless driving and possessing methamphetamine.

Prosecutor Sgt Gary Simpson told the court Bielecki had been seen driving recklessly on South Coast Highway in Parryville on June 24, with other drivers reporting seeing her drive on to the shoulder of the busy road and then swerve to the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic.

Sgt Simpson said other drivers had to take evasive action to avoid a collision and Bielecki hit a metal crash barrier on the side of the road, damaging her car and eventually coming to a stop on the roadside.

Passing drivers who had witnessed her reckless driving called police and stayed with Bielecki on the side of the road with her vehicle until they arrived.

When officers arrived on scene, Sgt Simpson said Bielecki appeared to be “heavily” affected by drugs and when she was searched police found 0.5g of meth in her back pocket.

However, she did not admit to using the drug on that day, telling attending officers she was just tired.

Sgt Simpson said the incident could easily have been “so much worse” and Bielecki should consider herself lucky she did not cause a collision and injure herself or someone else.

Duty lawyer Lucy Bourne said Bielecki had been working away from home in the days leading up to the incident and was extremely tired.

She said Bielecki instructed she had used drugs the day before the incident, but had not used before driving, though she conceded any drugs she used the night before could still have been in her system.

Ms Bourne said Bielecki understood how lucky she was that no one was hurt and how easily a much more serious version of events could have ended up before the court.

Magistrate Rosemarie Myers said even if she was not under the influence of drugs, if Bielecki knew she was tired she should not have got behind the wheel.

She said the incident was “extremely serious” and could have easily ended up as a serious crash involving multiple cars if other drivers hadn’t taken quick action to avoid it.

Bielecki was sentenced to six months and 14 days in prison, with the term suspended for 10 months.

She was also fined $400 for possessing meth and had her driver’s licence disqualified for six months, the mandatory minimum term.