The “devastated” parents of a one-year-old who died after being hit by a vehicle outside an Aberdeenshire church have paid tribute to their “beautiful” daughter.
The couple, called Holly and Glenn, revealed the name of their child was Ivy Mae Ross.
The girl, from Whitecairns, died following the incident on Wednesday evening in the car park of Plymouth Brethren Church in the village’s Eigie Road.
In a statement, the heartbroken parents said: “We can confirm that our beautiful daughter Ivy Mae passed away following a tragic accident last evening after our regular church gathering.
“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 emergency services tireless work and support is greatly appreciated.”
‘Our thoughts are with the family’
The incident in Balmedie involved a Land Rover. The 40-year-old driver was uninjured.
Police are urging anyone who may have information about the incident to come forward as soon as possible.
Police Scotland can be contacted on 101, quoting incident number 3390 of Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Inspector Scott Deans of Police Scotland 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 remain ongoing and we’d like to thank the wider Balmedie community for their patience and understanding as officers carry out their inquiries in the area.”
Church member gave CPR
A church official told The Press and Journal that he gave CPR to the little girl while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
He said the situation was “traumatic”.
“At the moment we’re just trying to come to terms with it,” he said.
Throughout the day, people have been leaving flowers outside the gates of the Plymouth Brethren Church.
One local said: “It doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has 50,000 members worldwide.
Its members say they are “deeply family-oriented” and the church community is held together by their Christian beliefs.
The group recently had plans approved by Aberdeenshire Council to construct a new church hall on Balmacassie Brae in Ellon.
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