Heartbroken parents' 'devastation' over death of baby hit by Land Rover in church car park

A family has issued a heartbreaking tribute to a "beautiful" one-year-old girl who died after being hit by a Land Rover in a church car park.

Ivy Mae Ross was struck outside the Plymouth Brethren Church in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire at around 7.45pm on Wednesday. She was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but could not be saved and was later pronounced dead.

Parents Holly and Glen have shared their "absolute devastation" at the loss of their baby, but have extended their thanks to the community for the support given. 

They said: "Our beautiful daughter Ivy Mae passed away following a tragic accident after our regular church gathering in Balmedie. We are absolutely devastated and ask that our privacy is respected at this challenging time. We value all the prayers and messages of sympathy and support we have received from the local community."

The driver of the car, a 40-year-old man, was not hurt during the incident, the Daily Record reports.

Police Scotland Inspector Scott Deans said: "At this time our thoughts are with the family of the deceased, along with everyone else affected by this tragic incident.

"Our investigation into the circumstances remains ongoing and we'd like to thank the wider Balmedie community for their patience and understanding as officers carry out their enquiries in the area."

One man, who lives on the nearby Chapelwell Estate told the Daily Record: "It is heartbreaking that this would happen to a little girl. Everyone is thinking of her family. I saw a lot of ambulances and police cars at the church last night. It is terrible to find out what happened to this baby."

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 7.45pm on Wednesday to attend an incident on Eigie Road in Balmedie. We dispatched several resources to the scene.”

Heartbreaking tributes have been paid to the little girl, with Paul McKeown, the minister of the nearby Belhelvie Church, saying: “We are all in shock, and our hearts go out to them following this horror.

“They are part of the exclusive Brethren Church which is also known as the Plymouth Church. They are a closed group and have a strong community. They tend to keep themselves to themselves and don’t communicate with other churches.

“Their community meets regularly in the evenings for worship, so the incident is especially tragic in the context.”

A Plymouth Brethren Christian Church spokesman said: “Sadly, we can confirm that an incident at the Plymouth Brethren Meeting Hall car park in Balmedie, involving a single vehicle and a young child, happened last evening. The young child was tragically pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

“We are a very supportive church, and we are giving the family and friends of the people involved in the accident the help they need.

“On behalf of the church, I would like to thank the emergency first responders, who have been very professional and compassionate in their response.”