Motorists were piling onto the grass verge beside the A17 to avoid a head-on smash with a woman driver on the wrong side of the road when she was over the drink-drive limit.
Raminta Rudzeviciute (28), who works at Bakkavor Pizza in Holbeach St Marks, first left the carriageway on her own side of the road, sending up “a plume of dirt”.
Jim Clare, prosecuting, said her red Mini Cooper then veered into the path of an oncoming HGV, which had to go onto the grass verge to avoid a collision.
A witness who followed Rudzeviciute told police his heart was in his mouth as “every single car in the opposite direction had to take evasive action”.
The witness, a Mr Baker, asked his wife to phone police and he followed the Mini Cooper past Holbeach Primary School and watched her drive on the wrong side of the road – an Astra coming the other way had to mount the kerb and go along the pavement to get out of Rudzeviciute’s way.
Mr Clare said Mr Baker followed her to a car park off Back Lane, where she promptly slammed on her brakes.
The witness, who drove slowly by, said: “I could see a female slumped in the driver’s seat fast asleep.
“I could not believe that she actually fell asleep within a period of three to four seconds.
“I would describe the whole incident as absolutely terrifying.
“I honestly thought that someone would seriously get hurt.”
Mr Clare said there was no charge of dangerous driving, but magistrates could “look at the standard of driving” in relation to the excess alcohol offence.
Rudzeviciute (28), of Tattershall Road, Boston, admitted having 64 microgrammes of alcohol in breath on April 22 – the legal limit is 35mcgs.
She was banned for 22 months, fined £280 and must pay £85 costs and a £28 victim surcharge.
Magistrates are allowing her to cut up to a quarter off the ban if she completes a rehabilitation course.
Presiding magistrate Jane Tidswell told her: “We have rarely heard a description from a prosecutor of such appalling driving and it’s a relief to us, as your solicitor has said, that nobody was killed on that day.”
Asad Aziz, mitigating, said Rudzeviciute had one glass of wine that day but had been drinking into the small hours with friends who were consoling her because her partner had left home.