Former Kansas University basketball signee Chris Lindley has died at the age of 34.

Lindley, who had his right foot amputated in January of 1990 after a train accident, died at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after being transported from a home he was living at in East Lawrence.

Lindley lost his foot, and his chance of playing basketball at KU, after falling under a train. He attended high school at Raytown (Mo.) South before signing a letter of intent to play at KU.

Police conducted a death investigation Thursday. Sgt. Paul Fellers, a department spokesman, said the death did not appear suspicious.

Lindley had signed a letter of intent to play for coach Roy Williams at Kansas at the time of his accident. KU honored the scholarship agreement, but Lindley was never part of the basketball team.

“I remember what a nice young man he was and how positive an attitude he had in the initial time period after he lost his foot,” former KU athletic director Bob Frederick said of Lindley, who had been working at a health-care facility in Lawrence. “I remember he used to come by the office and say hello. He was hoping with the new technology in prosthesis he’d be able to play again.”

Lindley, a power forward, in fact, did play intramural ball and pick-up basketball.

“I used to play basketball with him at Robinson Gymnasium after our season ended,” said former KU player Patrick Richey, part of Lindley’s recruiting class which also included Richard Scott and Steve Woodberry. “A good way to describe him was a gentle giant. He was a real nice guy, personable, intelligent with a great future ahead of him.”

Richey, who attended Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High, played against Lindley in high school.

“He was a top-20 (national) talent,” Richey said of Lindley. “He could dunk in traffic. He had monster dunks like (Darrell) Dawkins. He had long arms, was extremely talented.”