While self-driving cars seem like a good idea from a safety perspective, they don't actually do anything to solve the gridlock problem which requires actually getting vehicles off the road.
It would not surprise me if a situation like this becomes more common as more and more self-driving cars mix in with human-controlled cars and pedestrians and bicyclists. We still have a long way to go with this technology!
choosing to pick up and fly off when faced with gridlock is a change I welcome but who knows when that will be a reality lol :)