In the blink of an eye, everything changes.

Shortly before 7pm on Tuesday, Troy Atkinson was going about his business in the city centre, perhaps thinking about how his day had gone, or what he was having for tea.

We will never know what was on his mind because, as he crossed a road, he was struck by a car and later died of his head injuries.

For Troy's family, there will be the almost impossible-to-bear anguish of losing a cherished son, their hopes and dreams for him extinguished in one cruel moment.

And as we read on our pages today, the heartache of his friends is incredibly moving.

We heard from young people his own age, struggling to find the right words to express how they feel and trying to understand something they should not have to deal with.

Then there are his rugby coaches, grown men reduced to tears at the loss of not just a talented rugby player but a "lovely lad" who had found it easy to make friends when he joined a new club.

But in that moment on Tuesday night, everything changed.

His family will now have to deal with the shock, the grieving and then they will have to try to rebuild their lives without their beloved Troy.

For his friends, there will also be a huge hole in their lives and they will be left with just memories of a dear friend.

Everything will change, too, for the driver of the car.

It is not appropriate to talk about the circumstances and the police will be carrying out investigations.

But whatever the outcome, that person will also be changed forever.

The clock cannot be wound back.

In the case of the driver, there will also be a family affected by this tragedy.

And let us not forget the emergency crews who had to deal with the aftermath.

In just a moment, everything changed for so many people.