Dic: overtaken by events

■ If an event overtakes you, it happens unexpectedly or suddenly. (= befall)

• Tragedy was shortly to overtake him, however.
• The positive neutrality enjoined on the force has now been overtaken by events.

■ be overtaken by events: if you are overtaken by events, the situation changes, so that your plans or ideas are not useful any more.

• The diplomatic negotiations were soon overtaken by events.

■ overtake someone/something: if something unpleasant overtakes a person, it unexpectedly starts to happen and to affect them.

• The climbers were overtaken by bad weather. 
• Sudden panic overtook her. 
• Our original plan was overtaken by events (= the situation changed very rapidly) and we had to make a new one.

.... COBUILD, LDOCE, OALD