Family pay tribute to ‘beautiful’ baby girl killed in Land Rover crash at church
The heartbroken family of a baby girl who died after getting hit by a Land Rover in a church car park have paid tribute to their ‘beautiful girl’.
Ivy Mae Ross, 1, was hit in the car park of Plymouth Brethren church in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, at around 7.45pm on Wednesday.
She was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Her parents Holly and Glen say they are ‘absolutely devastated’ by the death of their young daughter but thanked the community for their support.
They said: ‘Our beautiful daughter Ivy Mae passed away following a tragic accident after our regular church gathering in Balmedie,’ they said.
‘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.’
Speaking to the Independent, Ivy Mae’s great-uncle Iain McKenzie paid tribute to the ‘beautiful girl’ and expressed his sorrow at her passing.
‘They are a lovely family and good parents,’ he told the outlet. ‘They come from Aberdeen, and as a family we would visit at least once a month.
‘It’s terrible. She is my family. I’m too shattered and shocked to even shed tears. None of us can bring this darling child back.’
He added: ‘My heart goes out to her parents and grandparents. I hope they find comfort together as a family at this awful time. I am thinking of them through their huge loss.’
The Jesmond Gospel Hall Trust was believed to have been full during the time of the incident on Wednesday night, with around 300 worshippers in attendance for a regular midweek sermon.
A church spokesperson thanked first responders who were ‘very professional and compassionate’ in their response to the accident.
In a statement, they said: ‘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.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.