Kaine Andrew Carter has pleaded guilty to the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.
The Southport District Court on Monday heard Carter was driving drunk, on drugs and wearing a "moon boot" at the time of the accident on October 17, 2020.
The 32-year-old father-of-three also admitted he had been disqualified from driving just four days before the crash.
His Mazda utility was unregistered and he conceded to leaving the tragic scene without obtaining help.
Tammara Macrokanis, 32, was hitchhiking on the southbound lanes of the M1 when she was hit and killed instantly around 9.30pm.
She had been at a family gathering at Pimpama and stormed out after a disagreement, intending to hitchhike back to her northern NSW home.
Ms Macrokanis made it to the southbound lanes of the Pacific Motorway before being run down by Carter in a crash he can't even remember.
After being slammed on the ute's bonnet, Ms Macrokanis was pinned between the bulbar and the highway guard rail and dragged 21 metres along the M1.
Carter drove for a further 500m before bringing his car to a stop in the emergency lane.
He then drove another 2km, only stopping because the ute wouldn't drive any further.
In a cruel twist, Ms Macrokanis's sister stopped to help Carter while searching for her sister - unaware she was helping her killer.
Police were called to reports of a damaged car parked "dangerously" on the shoulder and discovered blood all over his car.
Carter was "grossly" intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level more than four times over the legal limit combined with methamphetamine, cannabis and prescription drugs.
Ms Macrokanis's body was not found until two hours later after a police search of the area.
"When he hit her and stopped 500m down the road, there is no reason for him not to know that he has hit someone," prosecutor Christopher Cook told the court.
"He has to have known. There was blood all over the car.
"He should not have been on the road after drinking, taking drugs and also being disqualified from driving."
Defence counsel Victoria Trafford-Walker said while Carter conceded he must have hit "something" - he had no memory of the incident.
"He just has no memory of what happened," Ms Trafford-Walker said.
"It is accepted that the driving was irresponsible and dangerous."
Judge Deborah Holliday was scathing of both Carter's decision to get behind the wheel and his reckless driving that night.
"There was a myriad of reasons why you should not have been driving that vehicle on that evening," Judge Holliday said.
"With that combination of circumstances, it defies belief that you got behind the wheel of a vehicle - but you did.
"And when you did, you drive erratically and at speed immediately prior to the accident and failed to keep a proper lookout.
"The consequences were catastrophic."
Carter was sentenced to nine years in prison and will be eligible for parole after serving four years.
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