By the Associated Press

COLUMBUS | A police detective thwarted an attempted escape from the county jail when she spotted two women in prison garb clinging to the undercarriage of a jail bus leaving the courthouse.

Amy Morris yelled to a court security guard to call for backup and ran after the bus as it rolled down the street Monday morning. Because she was scheduled to be in court, she wasn't carrying her gun, radio or handcuffs.

The women dropped off the bus when it stopped for a light. One fell and the other ran.

Morris took off after the fleeing woman, thinking the other had hurt herself and wouldn't get far.

After a short chase, the detective caught Tracy Mobley, 39, who had been jailed since Saturday on aggravated theft charges.

Meanwhile, Terry Myer, who works for a private detective agency, was in a car behind the bus. He got out and tackled the other prisoner, Mari Morrisey, 40, who had been arraigned that morning on several traffic charges, including drunken driving. She also had been arrested Saturday.

Both women have been charged with felony escape, sheriff's Detective Richard Coyne said Tuesday.

Mobley is hospitalized with a broken back suffered during the escape. Officers don't know if she injured herself when she dropped from the bus or after she began running, Coyne said.

The bus bumper hit Morrisey in the head after she dropped but did not cause serious injuries, Coyne said. Morrisey is back in jail.