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Rolling bus hits Boston assistant principal

A school bus at the McCormack Middle School in Dorchester abruptly rolled about 60 feet Monday afternoon and struck the assistant principal, who sustained serious injuries, officials said Tuesday.

The driver was not in the bus at the time of the accident, about 4:30, as school was dismissing students for the day.

The assistant principal, John Switlekowski, 60, was rushed to Boston Medical Center and underwent surgery Tuesday. His injuries included a broken pelvis, according to an e-mail to staff Monday evening from principal Michael Sabin.

“He was in a lot of pain during the incident but remained conscious,” Sabin said in the e-mail, which was obtained by the Globe. “Everyone is optimistic, but they are not making any specific predictions.”

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The school bus driver had stepped off the bus to use the bathroom and told police he applied the emergency brake. It was not known whether the school bus was running at the time it struck Switlekowski.

The driver has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of investigations by Boston police and Transdev, the private company that oversees the city’s school bus fleet, said Denise Snyder, a School Department spokeswoman.

Since Transdev took over the running of the school buses in mid-2013, it has recorded three accidents that involved people taken to hospitals with serious injuries, Snyder said.

Videos are being reviewed and the state inspector examined the bus, Snyder said. She said the inspector found that the bus and the brake were “in working condition.”

Police have not filed any charges, said Officer Rachel McGuire .


James Vaznis can be reached at jvaznis@globe.com.