Timothy Larsen, 30, stopped at a pub for a few drinks on his way driving from Melbourne to Ararat to pick up his girlfriend with two mates on November 14, 2020.

Witnesses saw him speeding between 160km/h and 180km/h and veering out of his lane on the Western Highway past Beaufort and made reports to police.

Larsen was driving near Buangor when he lost control of his four wheel drive, collided with the left side railing and went through it before rolling and coming to rest in a roadside reserve.

Police arrived soon after when all three occupants were getting out of the car.

They smelt alcohol on Larsen's breath and he blew a reading of 0.149.

He told police he lost control of the car after taking his eyes off the road to get a cigarette.

One of the passengers had abrasions to his face.

A road collision investigator attended and estimated Larsen was driving at 150km/h when he lost control of the car.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jack Fletcher said the recklessness of Larsen's actions placed his two friends and other road users at high risk of death.

Defence lawyer Scott Belcher said Larsen did not have any similar criminal history and asked the magistrate to consider imposing a good behaviour bond.

"He is in a much better place than he was back then," he said.

Mr Belcher said Larsen had been seeing his general practitioner and a counsellor and he no longer drank alcohol.

"He thinks about it every day and wakes up at night in sweats," he said.

The court heard Larsen lived and worked full-time in Melbourne, had a partner and family support.

He said he had pleaded guilty to the charges, including reckless conduct endangering death, at the earliest opportunity.

Magistrate Letizia Torres said the matter was too serious for a good behaviour bond.

"You put yourself, friends and other road users in danger," she said.

"General deterrence and punishment is relevant as well."

Ms Torres said Larsen chose to stop to drink alcohol when he knew he would be driving.

"It was a very high reading," she said.

"It is a miracle nobody was seriously hurt or killed."

Larsen was disqualified from driving for two years from the date of the offence.

He will be assessed for a community corrections order and return to court in late August for sentencing.

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