A boa constrictor sprawled out in the middle of the highway stopped motorists near Wellington on Monday.

At about 2:40 p.m., a driver spotted something curious in the roadway of Hwy 6 near Side Road 19. Further inspection revealed the strange object was a six-foot boa constrictor.

The driver stopped and tried to prevent the snake from being run over by passing traffic, police say.

Emergency personnel attended the scene and placed the snake into a sack.

Police say the snake escaped from a second-floor apartment in Arthur, last month, and it has now been returned to its rightful owner.