Coates RV
Community News
A HAPPY ENDING:
FAMILY GETS NEW CAMPER AFTER SEMITRAILER ACCIDENT
By Jacob Brooks
Williston Herald
Published Thursday, October 6, 2011
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| Shauna Cotten and her two sons, Vincent, 9, and Lee, 10, pose Wednesday in front of their new, albeit used, camper given to them by Coates RV of Williston. Photo by Jacob Brooks - Williston Herald |
The family of four who were awakened by a semitrailer driving into their camper about five miles north of Williston earlier this week has a new place to live, thanks to the generosity of a local RV dealer.
Dutch Deick , the manager of Coates RV in Williston, read the story about the Cotten family in Tuesday's edition of the Williston Herald.
"Valerie, one of the sales people, read it and brought it to my attention," Deick said, adding Coates RV contacted the family later that day. And by nightfall, the company delivered a camper to the Cotten family, free of charge.
"It's used, but it's in really good condition," said Shauna Cotten.
The 35-year-old mother of two, along with her husband and sons, were sleeping inside the trailer at 2:20 a.m. Monday when they felt the trailer shift about 4 feet. No one was hurt, but the damage left a gaping hole in a corner of the camper, and Cotten's 9-year-old son was sleeping just inches from where the impact occurred, she said.
The truck sped off without stopping, Cotten said, and as of Wednesday afternoon, it's still a mystery on who the driver was.
Still, a big load has been lifted, Cotten said, adding their new camper is much better than what they had before.
"We slept like babies," she said. "Our boys felt so safe last night."
The family was very appreciative to Coates RV for the gift.
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| Brothers Lee, right, and Vincent Cotten stand inside a camper that was given to their family by Coates RV of Williston Wednesday. Both boys said the camper is a lot better than the other one they had, which was hit by a semitrailer as they were sleeping Monday morning. Photos by Jacob Brooks - Williston Herald |
"There are still some kind-hearted people out there that really do care," Cotten said.
Coates RV officials said they were glad to help out.
"We're a family business. We strongly rely on families," Deick said, adding the company decided to give the Cottens a camper after speaking with the family about their situation.
The truck sped off without stopping, Cotten said, and as of Wednesday afternoon, it's still a mystery on who the driver was.
"We felt it was the right thing to do," Deick said.
Cotten said she plans to bring a cake over to Coates RV today as a show of thanks.
The Cottens moved to the Williston area from Bismarck for new jobs just a week before the accident. Shauna Cotten works at M&H, and her husband James is a maintenance worker for Village Laundry.
They said they gave their old camper to a homeless person living in the Williston area.
About Coates RV
Coates RV is a North Dakota RV Dealer that has been through four family generations and three quarters of a century, Coates RV Center has been committed to the RV community. Many companies can claim they have the best RV Service but Coates has been providing this since 1938. Our customers are all friends that know the value of being in a Coates Camper. Times have changed and more and more people are using the Internet to shop for their RV and that's why CoatesRVNorthDakota.com has been designed to make shopping for your next RV informative, fast, fun and most of all - simple! It was created for people who have real questions that a computer generated program just can't answer. You will receive prices and information within a couple minutes, not a couple days. You will find the best value at the guaranteed lowest prices. At Coates RV North Dakota you can actually see all the options that are available for each trailer right on our website. You will leave our website knowing exactly what your final price will be, with all your questions completely answered and no hidden fees. We offer North Dakota RV Sales of Travel Trailers, Fifth Wheels, Toy Haulers, Tent Campers, Expandables, Park Models and More. We not only offer RV Sales but we are one of the North Dakota RV Dealers that offer RV Service, RV Parts, RV Accessories, RV Financing and so much more!
ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE, ANYTIME...
Whether it is in house, or online, Coates RV Center will ALWAYS beat or match any competitor selling the same Forest River product. Coates RV Center has a complete line of Travel Trailers, Fifth Wheels, Park Models, Tent Campers, and Expandables in stock and ready for immediate delivery. We are a North Dakota RV Dealer that is a top seller of Forest River RVs including top brands like Cedar Creek, Flagstaff, R-Pod, Salem, Shamrock, Shasta, Silverback, Victory Lane, and Wildcat...just to name a few!
We also offer a Build Your Own RV section to help you find the perfect RV for all your RV'ing needs!