MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Manitowoc County officials have confirmed the death of Jim Brey, who had been serving as county treasurer and city alderman when he died Tuesday evening.
Manitowoc County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer confirmed that Brey passed away after a vehicle crash.
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"We'll miss him and the community will miss him. He had good intentions for the Manitowoc County and the Manitowoc City community all of the time," Ziegelbauer said.
According to Manitowoc Police, around 5 p.m. Tuesday evening, a vehicle crashed into the Invincible Metal Furniture building. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ziegelbauer says Brey was behind the wheel. Police have not released a specific cause of death.
Brey had recently been appointed county treasurer and was also serving on the Manitowoc Common Council, a position he had held since the 1990s.
"He really took me under his wing and showed me the ropes and answered every question I had," Manitowoc County Board Chair Tyler Martell said.
Martell says Brey was always involved, in and out of the office.
"I don't know what a city government looks like or a county government looks like without Jim Brey," Martell said.
The Manitowoc Police have turned the investigation over to the Wisconsin State Patrol, which will continue looking into the crash and cause of death along with other authorities.
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