A NSW man was tailgating in heavy rain on Friday when his drive came to an abrupt, sobering end.

The 43-year-old was driving along the M1 Motorway at Cooranbong about 2.50pm when he got too close to the rear bumper of a second vehicle.

The driver of the car in front was none other than the Northern Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Jeff Loy.

Police will allege the driver approached the officer’s vehicle and passed by at speed. He was pulled over a short distance along the road and breath tested.

It is alleged the man returned a positive reading of 0.110, more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit.

He was arrested and taken to Morisset Police Station where he was charged with mid-range drink driving. He was granted conditional bail and will appear before Toronto Local Court on Tuesday, September 27.

The 43-year-old was stopped during a period of increased police presence on NSW roads. Operation Mega Drive Three, which started on Friday morning, saw 48 officers in 30 vehicles monitoring Hunter Valley roads for potential incidents.

The operation continues until Monday.