San Francisco renames street for officer injured in traffic collision

A Tenderloin block now carries the name of Elia Lewin-Tankel, the former San Francisco police officer whose life changed after a hit-and-run collision on duty left him with a severe brain injury and permanent disability.

Dozens of officers and city leaders gathered Thursday, June 4, 2026, to unveil Officer Lewin-Tankel Way on the 300 block of Eddy Street, between Leavenworth and Jones streets. The commemorative designation was pushed by the San Francisco Police Officers Association and marked with Mayor Daniel Lurie, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and police officials in attendance. It does not replace the legal street name used for addresses or navigation, but it gives the Tenderloin a permanent marker tied to one of the department’s most painful recent injuries.

Lewin-Tankel was critically injured on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, while riding bicycle beat in the Tenderloin. San Francisco police said he was struck by a fleeing suspect’s vehicle on the mid-block of Turk Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street. He remained in critical condition after surgery the next day at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and later reporting said he survived but was left permanently disabled with a severe brain injury.

The criminal case that followed ended with Willie Flanigan’s conviction for the hit-and-run and a sentence of 12 years and eight months in prison, the maximum term. Nearly a decade later, the street naming turned a traffic collision into civic memory, keeping the injury visible in the neighborhood where it happened and where officers still patrol daily.

The Board of Supervisors resolution to create Officer Lewin-Tankel Way was introduced on March 10, 2026 and advanced through committee in April. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood backed the renaming during committee hearings, saying it reflected a commitment to honoring people who have given back to the community and recognizing Lewin-Tankel’s courage and strength in service to Tenderloin residents. SFPD Commander Zaherne also spoke in favor, and no public comment was received.