Royal Oak Commissioner Kim Gibbs Dies At 48

ROYAL OAK, MI — Royal Oak City Commissioner Kim Gibbs died Thursday, the city announced via a post on its Facebook page. She was 48.

Gibbs had been in the news recently after pleading guilty to retail fraud after being accused of stealing from a local Meijer store, the Detroit Free Press reported. The Detroit News reported that Gibbs had also attended an anti-lockdown rally.

"These past few months have been very difficult and stressful for Kim, and her health suffered as a result," the city said in a statement. "Her legacy, though, will be the positive way she touched our lives, with her upbeat attitude and passion for helping people."

Gibbs was in an automobile crash Aug. 1, the city said. The crash was severe enough to total the vehicle Gibbs was driving, although city officials said Gibbs had reported only being shaken up by the crash.

Gibbs stopped responding to text messages from family and friends, prompting her mother to visit her home. When she did she found Gibbs lying unconscious and called paramedics, the city said.

Gibbs was transported to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak where she never regained consciousness, the city said. The post said Gibbs had a seizure, and that it is unclear whether it is related to the crash she was in or other health concerns.